Here&#x27;s some fantastic examples of my home state, Kansas, &quot;valuing&quot; academia:&#x27;<p>[Kansas school funding cuts mean summer comes uncomfortably early: Governor Sam Brownback’s $51m budget cut affects at least eight districts and thousands of students as he ‘experiments’ with reducing income tax](<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;us-news&#x2F;2015&#x2F;may&#x2F;05&#x2F;kansas-education-funding-early-summer-sam-brownback" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;us-news&#x2F;2015&#x2F;may&#x2F;05&#x2F;kansas-educat...</a>)<p>[Budget cuts would cost largest Kansas school districts $67M](<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;fox4kc.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;06&#x2F;09&#x2F;budget-cuts-would-cost-largest-kansas-school-districts-67m&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;fox4kc.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;06&#x2F;09&#x2F;budget-cuts-would-cost-largest-...</a>)<p>It has been a shameful year for Kansas, and with teachers all up my family line, my heart goes out to all those families and teachers who are affected by these cuts, let alone the long reaching impacts to those students who have had their education cut short, literally.