Kansas City Public Schools

Rethinking Middle School

Sylvia Maria Gross and Matthew Long-Middleton — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:11:23 +0000

Think back to your middle school yearbook picture – do you cringe a little bit? Do you remember a hormone-filled, socially awkward period of your life where your mind has developed faster than your body... or maybe the other way around. Ages 11 to 14 can also be a time of intellectual and emotional awakening for young people – when they discover their talents and interests and meet lifelong friends.

KCPS Plans To Reorganize Middle Grades Again

Sylvia Maria Gross — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:00:34 +0000

Over the past few weeks, Kansas City Public Schools held community forums to discuss the reorganization of the district’s middle grades, and possibly returning to the concept of stand-alone middle schools. The district’s tweens have been bounced around quite a bit over the past few years.

KCPS Agrees To Open Hale Cook School

Alex Smith — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:30:38 +0000

On Friday, February 15, Kansas City Public Schools agreed to a plan to reopen the shuttered Hale Cook elementary school in the Waldo neighborhood.

Update On Kansas City Public Schools

Steve Kraske and Danie Alexander — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 05:21:28 +0000

Missouri's annual report for school districts came out last week and for the first time in a long time the news for Kansas City wasn't all bad. In fact, there's been some improvement.

Leadership Change At African-Centered Schools

Susan B. Wilson and Sylvia Maria Gross — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 22:21:06 +0000

There’s been changing of the guard at Kansas City's African-centered schools.

Judge Rules Mo. School Transfer Law Unconstitutional

Rachel Lippman and Marshall Griffin / KWMU — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:03:32 +0000

A St. Louis County judge has ruled that a Missouri law allowing students to transfer from unaccredited districts to neighboring accredited ones for free is unconstitutional.

Kansas City, Mo Schools: State Takeover Or Start Over?

Stephen Steigman and Steve Kraske — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:02:52 +0000

After years of short-term superintendents, attempted re-inventions and restarts, failing state test scores, and the loss of accreditation, opinions are flying every which way on what to do with the KCMO School District.

New KC School Board Seeks Both Stability And Change

Sylvia Maria Gross — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:51:24 +0000

Just after winning re-election by a couple hundred write-in votes, Kansas City Missouri's school board president Airick Leonard West and three newly elected board members immediately got down to business at their first meeting last night. The agenda included a plan to overhaul the structure of the board itself.

KC School Board President Wins Write-In Re-Election

Sylvia Maria Gross — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:41:36 +0000

School Board President Airick Leonard West will retain his at-large seat on the Kansas City, Missouri school board, after running a write-in race against four other candidates.

School District Meets With Council Group

Steve Bell — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 06:53:36 +0000

President of the Kansas City school board and interim superintendent Steve Green went to the city council Neighborhoods Committee Wednesday with a plan for restoring accreditation to the Kansas City district.

School Board President Trains Others To Take His Place

Sylvia Maria Gross — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:44:04 +0000

Missouri lawmakers are considering bills that could eliminate the Kansas City school board, or even dissolve the district. So it might not come as a surprise that no one is on the April third ballot for three open seats on the school board. But recently, seven people have filed to run as write-in candidates.

KCPS Alumni Debate The District's Future

Sylvia Maria Gross — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:04:33 +0000

The first legislative hearings about Kansas City Public Schools began in Jefferson City on January 31, 2012. The latest bill would dissolve the district, parceling the schools out to neighboring districts for management.

Catholic Schools Want State Support For KCPS Transfers

Sylvia Maria Gross — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:28:02 +0000

Local Catholic School officials are looking for state support for Kansas City Public School students to be able to transfer to private or religious schools.

Bill Will Speed KC School Intervention

Dan Verbeck — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:01:41 +0000

No one appeared at a Jefferson City hearing today to testify against a bill that would speed Missouri's ability to take some charge of unaccredited Kansas City schools. There was support from a teachers’ association and the Missouri School Boards’ Association.

Schools' "Among Worst In Nation" Tag Gets Softpedal

Dan Verbeck — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:17:43 +0000

The depiction of city schools as “among the worst in the nation” by the US Education Secretary and Kansas City’s mayor made bold headlines but slipped quietly aside as the mayor briefed the City Council today.