Sports: Iola falters in season opener See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Divided time
District resources split among schools By KAREN INGRAM The Iola Register
Jason Marciano has been principal of Lincoln Elementary for just a few weeks, but he has already come to two conclusions. One, his staff consists of dedicated individuals who are constantly seeking new ways to improve academic standards for their students. Two, they are greatly hampered by the buildings they teach in, especially for the “special” teachers — those who teach art, music, physical education and more. The way special teachers are set
up between schools is uneven and this means students at one school are not getting the same quality of education as children at another school. “It impacts the Jefferson kids because they do not get the same allotted time for music,” he said. “It creates inequality.” Karen Jesseph, who teaches music at Jefferson and McKinley elementary schools, said the situation has gotten worse in recent times. Several years ago when the school in LaHarpe was still open, the division of labor was equal between the two music teachers. One would teach at Lincoln and LaHarpe while the
other went to Jefferson and McKinley. While Jesseph did not disagree with the decision to close LaHarpe’s school, it did create unintentional consequences. Currently, USD 257 uses a four-day block scheduling system for its special teachers to determine on which days and times the instructors are available for specific classes. For example, If Monday is Day 1, the next Day 1 falls on Friday. The next week starts with Day 2. This constant cycling of the “days” is designed to prevent a sinSee TIME | Page A6
Karen Jesseph, music teacher
There’s no place like home(schooling) City stays
mum on EMS talks
By KAREN INGRAM The Iola Register
F
or most parents, sending their children to public school is a given. The idea of walking their kid to their first day of kindergarten and perhaps shedding a tear is just another part of the American Dream. But there is a difference between dreams and reality, and for some people, the idea of public school was better than the reality of it. “Never in my life did I think I would be homeschooling, but now I can’t imagine going back,” said Aimee Bahnsen, Kincaid. “For us, it was the best decision.” Bahnsen is one of a growing number of people across the country who decided to use homeschooling as an alternative. The U.S. Department of Education reports more children are being homeschooled than ever before. Between 1999 and 2007, the number of children being educated at home grew from 850,000 to 1.5 million. In 2013, it grew by another 300,000. The decision to educate her children at home was not an easy one. Bahnsen said she had a lot of doubts at first, particularly over whether she would be good enough for the task of educating them as an
Health homes explained Holly Jerome, director of a Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center wellness program, Health Home, outlined it for Iola Rotarians Thursday. An extensive feature story on the program was in the Aug. 18 Register. Jerome said the assumption was that mental and physical health affected each other and that the program’s goal was to integrate the two so both aspects of a person’s well being were improved. See WELLNESS | Page A2
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Wendy Bahnsen, Iola, who began homeschooling her children two years ago, has discovered one of the benefits is being able to customize lesson plans to each individual child’s learning style. “I’ve learned Lily responds better to gentleness,” she said. “Kitt soaks up information like a sponge.” Front row from left, Lily Smith, Lane Bahnsen, Owen Bahnsen and Cody Bahnsen; second row, Wendy Phelan, Dominic Phelan, Wyat Bahnsen, Kitt Phelan and Aimee Bahnsen. REGISTER/KAREN INGRAM academic. Math, for example, is not one of her strong suits. One thing she discovered was that it was OK to learn alongside her children. “I want them to know it’s OK if you don’t know the answer. You need to figure out how to get it,” she said. Bahnsen said she enjoys teaching her children critical
thinking skills and how to do research to find answers. Another thing that helped was networking. Getting to know other area parents who homeschool has allowed Bahnsen to connect with likeminded individuals who each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Some of these families have recently joined
together to form Southeast Kansas Homeschool Cooperative. “We have 14 children from four families,” said Wendy Phelan, Iola resident and cofounder. Phelan said one of the main goals of the co-op was to inSee PARENTS | Page A3
NATO agrees to take on ISIS threat NEWPORT, Wales (AP) — The U.S. and 10 of its key allies on Friday agreed that the Islamic State group is a significant threat to NATO countries and that they will take on the militants by squeezing their financial resources and going after them with military might. With the Islamic State militants spreading across eastern Syria and northern and western Iraq, President Barack Obama noted that the moderate Syrian rebels fighting both the group and the government of Bashar Assad are “outgunned and outmanned.” In addition to the action pledged by fellow NATO leaders, he pressed
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No. 217
I did not get any resistance or pushback to the basic notion that we have a critical role to play in rolling back this savage organization that is causing so much chaos in the region.... — President Barack Obama
Arab allies to reject the “nihilism” projected by the group.. The new NATO coalition will be able to mount a sustained effort to push back the militants, Obama said. The U.S. secretaries of State and Defense, meeting with their
counterparts at the international gathering, insisted the Western nations build a plan by the time the U.N. General Assembly meets this month. “I did not get any resistance or pushback to the basic notion that we have a See NATO | Page A6
“‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” — Alfred Lord Tennyson 75 Cents
Iola City Council members emerged without comment Thursday, following a nearly hour-long private discussion about the city’s ambulance contract with Allen County. Council members gathered for a special session for EMS negotiations with Allen County, after county commissioners put together a proposal that would pay the city $1 million a year for the service. Since assuming control of the countywide service in January, the city has projected a $377,000 budget shortfall by the end of the year. After a series of recent negotiating sessions between city and county intermediaries, the county directed Counselor Alan Weber to draft a contract proposal that would pay the city $1 million for the service annually, an increase of the $750,000 the sides already agreed to. City Council members at one point this summer voted to send a six-month notice to the county that it was terminating the contract, a notice that was effectively rescinded when they later voted to refuse to give Mayor Joel Wicoff permission to sign it. While much of Thursday’s session was closed to the public, City Administrator Carl Slaugh provided background information on the city’s call-back policy and how it affects overtime pay. Through Aug. 31, the city has paid $113,000 in unscheduled overtime for its ambulance crews, Slaugh said. “That’s one area we can potentially reduce some, depending on our call-back policies.” The city summons two ambulance personnel to See CITY | Page A3
Hi: 76 Lo: 53 Iola, KS