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Aligned is dedicated to strengthening education and workforce development in Kansas and Missouri. We bring together businesses, educators, and policymakers to craft practical solutions for reform.
Latest Policy Updates & Research
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Weekly Update — 05/15/26
This originally appeared in Aligned’s weekly newsletter. Want future updates in your inbox? Sign up today. Also note that this will be our last weekly update; in June we will switch to monthly updates. New report shows academic recovery is still…
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Why CEP Is More Than a School Meals Debate in Kansas
A simple bill with a complicated question underneath Kansas HB 2402 looks simple on paper. It requires eligible school boards to consider whether to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision, commonly called CEP, if more than 50% of students in one or more schools qualify for free meals via direct certification. The…
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Weekly Update — 05/08/26
This originally appeared in Aligned’s weekly newsletter. Want future updates in your inbox? Sign up today. Phone-free schools are not a shortcut to better learning Last week, we noted one emerging second-order effect on school cell phone bans: when phones are…
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2026 Kansas Legislative Session Review
The 2026 Kansas Legislative Session advanced several important education policies focused on student outcomes, workforce readiness, transparency, and long-term success. This year, Kansas lawmakers took action to strengthen classroom learning environments, improve accountability, expand education and workforce pathways, support early…
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Employer-supported child care is becoming a stronger tool for workforce retention.
The federal Employer-Provided Childcare Credit helps businesses offset certain costs when they support child care for employees. Kansas recently built on that idea by expanding its own employer child care tax credit through SB 82.
For businesses, this is another tool to help working parents stay in the workforce, strengthen recruitment and retention, and support local communities.
Child care is not just a family issue. It is a workforce issue.
Aligned’s monthly newsletter begins next week.
As we move out of the legislative session, our updates will shift from weekly to monthly, bringing you a concise look at the education policy conversations, resources, and developments shaping Kansas and Missouri.
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Join our regular newsletter to stay updated on education in Kansas and Missouri.
Great to sit in on the Kansas Legislative School Finance Formula Task Force this week and continue the conversation again today.
Yesterday’s discussion included a strong focus on chronic absenteeism and the connection between school funding, spending decisions, and student outcomes. Dr. Marguerite Roza with Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab, a valued partner in this work, brought a strong national perspective and practical data tools to the conversation.
Grateful to see Kansas leaders continuing to engage with thoughtful, data-driven resources as school finance conversations move forward.
