Maria Benevento
Education Reporter, Kansas City BeaconMaria Benevento is the education reporter at The Kansas City Beacon. She is a Report for America corps member.
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Kansas City Public Schools’ SEIU Local 1 union claims the district has delayed pay hikes and left other contract promises unfulfilled. Workers expressed frustration at a board meeting in mid-November, emphasizing issues like understaffing and inadequate training.
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The Parkville, Missouri, university is cutting 16 faculty positions, three master’s programs and about a dozen total majors, certificates, concentrations and minors. The number of students enrolled has dropped by more than 30% over the last few years.
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In response to mass school shootings like the one in Uvalde, Texas, Kansas City Public Schools administrators began talking about adding armed officers to elementary schools. But many parents opposed the idea, citing research showing that officers would only increase expulsions and criminal referrals.
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Donors had specified that Avila University in Kansas City shouldn’t spend the principal of its endowment, which is invested and used to pay for scholarships. However, Avila argued it needed access to all of the money, otherwise it would be "challenged to meet its financial obligations."
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The Catholic liberal arts school in Kansas City is asking a court to remove limitations that donors imposed on money they gave for scholarships. Avila University says that if it can't tap into its endowment, "the University will be challenged to meet its financial obligations."
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Even though federal law mandates that schools offer interpreters and other services to overcome language gaps — both for schoolkids and their parents — Kansas City families report they regularly come across barriers. That leaves them more vulnerable to bullying, and it complicates issues of discipline and special education.
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A number of racist incidents at schools have made news in the Kansas City area over the last few years. Experts say reporting these incidents is key to ensuring students are free from discrimination in public school — a right they’re guaranteed by federal law.
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No debería depender de su hijo para la traducción de conversaciones. En cambio, una escuela debe proporcionar interpretación y traducción efectiva.
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Schools are bound by federal civil rights guidelines and education laws to provide free and effective translation to families where English is not the primary language. Revolución Educativa wants families to know they're entitled to a trained interpreter who is proficient in both English and the first language spoken in the home.
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A Missouri bill lays out a plan to let more public schools to teach the Bible, but designing a course that respects students’ First Amendment rights can be tricky.