Jodi Fortino
Education ReporterMore than ever, education lies at the intersection of equity, housing, funding, and other diverse issues facing Kansas City’s students, families and teachers. As KCUR’s education reporter, I’ll break down the policies driving these issues in schools and report what’s happening in our region's classrooms. You can reach me at jodifortino@kcur.org.
I'm a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
-
Missouri’s state board of education decided to provide schools with optional guidelines on social-emotional learning to help them cope with worsening student behavior. Commissioners are concerned about potential political pushback to the learning standards, which have been criticized by conservatives.
-
Manuel “Manny” Guzman was fatally stabbed inside Northeast Middle School in April 2022. His mother is now suing the school district for failing to address security problems that contributed to his death.
-
Hale Cook Elementary served students in Kansas City for decades before shuttering in 2009. Now, the school is celebrating its 100th anniversary and the community that reopened it.
-
Board members voted Wednesday to maintain the district’s current tax levy to address longstanding deferred maintenance, like a lack of central air in some classrooms. The move comes as county property taxes, the district's biggest source of revenue, stand to skyrocket.
-
Under the legislation, Jackson County seniors whose homes are valued less than $550,000 can start applying for relief next year.
-
Riley Long, a high school teacher in the Blue Valley School District, is taking his passion for educating outside of the classroom to help others learn how to be better trans allies.
-
Kansas City Public Schools, which does not have central air conditioning in many of its secondary schools, will release all students early for the rest of the week because of safety concerns. Other districts in the area are canceling outdoor sports, moving recess indoors or encouraging staff to wear shorts.
-
Independence que por mucho, es el distrito más grande en Missouri que ha tomado la decisión de hacer el cambio a una semana escolar más corta, dejando preguntas para las familias acerca de lo que pueden esperar.
-
Independence is by far the largest district in Missouri to make the switch to a shorter school week, leaving questions for families about what they can expect.
-
Schools in Missouri are still rebounding from the pandemic's impact on student learning. State education leaders say they're also grappling with student mental health issues, chronic absenteeism and teacher shortages.