Merriam mother Heather Ousley marches from Kansas City to Topeka for her kids

MERRIAM, Kan. - When a Merriam mom said she would walk to the ends of the earth for her kids, she partly meant it.

36-year-old Heather Ousley is a member of a group that advocates for Kansas schools.

She began walking the 60 miles to Topeka this weekend to talk to lawmakers about improved funding.

Ousley began walking Saturday morning and plans to arrive in Topeka Monday night.

The mother of three is a member of a group calling itself Game On For Kansas Schools.

She's angered by several legislative proposals, including one to amend the Kansas Constitution to give the Legislature sole authority to determine funding for public schools, thus cutting out the courts.

"There may be a lack of support this year in our Kansas legislature right now, and I would like to change that," Ousley said, as she videotaped her walk across farm fields.

The proposal came after a Shawnee County District Court ruled in January that the state's school-finance system was unconstitutional and ordered legislators to boost spending.

Proposal backers say the court overstepped its boundaries.

Ousley will join members of the Kansas chapter of the National Education Association in Topeka on Tuesday to address lawmakers.