Jodi Fortino
Education ReporterAs KCUR’s education reporter, I cover how the economy, housing and school funding shape kids' education. I’ll meet teachers, students and their families where they are — late night board meetings, in the classroom or in their homes — to break down the big decisions and cover what matters most to you. You can reach me at jodifortino@kcur.org.
I'm a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
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As 2025 nears its end, we’re catching up on the biggest stories we reported this year. It was a hard year for federal workers in Kansas City, who weathered mass layoffs and the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Hear how that impacted workers' jobs and mental health. -
A group of Kansas City parents is calling on lawmakers to protect the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act amid changes to education at the federal level. -
The King Empowerment Center will include a new elementary school, an early childhood center and community services like a food pantry, clothing closet and mini laundromat when it opens in 2027. -
La organización Latinx Education Collaborative afirmó que en el 2019 solo el 1% de los educadores del área de Kansas City eran latinos. Un nuevo informe reveló que esa proporción casi se triplicó el año pasado escolar, pero la organización afirma que aún queda mucho por hacer. -
The Latinx Education Collaborative said just 1% of educators in the Kansas City area were Latino in 2019. A new report found that share nearly tripled last school year, but the organization says there's more work to be done.
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Kansas City area school districts are connecting families with food, clothing and other resources after the federal shutdown exacerbated their financial strain. -
The Kansas City Council approved traffic restrictions to keep kids safer on the road after a driver hit and killed a child last month. The ordinance prohibits right turns on red in school zones during school hours. -
Independence adopted the shorter school week two years ago to attract and retain more teachers. More than 61% of voters decided on Tuesday that the school district can continue its four-day week. -
Gladstone Elementary students received more than 400 bike helmets and traffic safety training after a second-grader was struck by a car while riding his scooter. It's one of the latest efforts to keep children safer on the road. -
A new Missouri law requires certain school districts to get voter approval to start or continue the four-day week. The Independence School District, which is by far the state's largest district on the shortened week, will put the issue before voters on Nov. 4.
