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Up To Date

A Family's Struggle With Schizophrenia, And A KCPS Update With Superintendent Bedell

By Steve Kraske,
Luke X. Martin
Published January 24, 2018 at 5:15 PM CST
Luke X. Martin
/
KCUR 89.3
An upcoming series of community conversations is a way of following up and being transparent with parents and the media, says KCPS Superintendent Mark Bedell, "and just being honest about where we are [as a district] and where we plan to head."

It took Sandra Allen a few years but when she finally read the 60-page autobiographical manuscript her paranoid schizophrenic uncle Bob sent her, she found a lens into his creative, curious and sometimes discombobulating mind. Today, Allen reflects on what her uncle's life reveals about mental health in America. Then, a conversation about the state of Kansas City Public Schools with Superintendent Mark Bedell, who says his district is making progress toward full accreditation, but challenges remain.

Superintendent Mark Bedell will host four community conversations across the KCPS system. The first is at the Linwood YMCA, 3800 E. Linwood Blvd., at 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 25. For more information, visit theplugKCPS.org.

Tags
Up To Date Talk ShowKansas City Missouri (KCMO)Kansas City Public SchoolsMark Bedellcommunitypublic schoolsBooksauthorsmental healthaccreditation
Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
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Luke X. Martin
As culture editor, I oversee KCUR’s coverage of race, culture, the arts, food and sports. I work with reporters to make sure our stories reflect the fullest view of the place we call home, so listeners and readers feel primed to explore the places, projects and people who make up a vibrant Kansas City. Email me at luke@kcur.org.
See stories by Luke X. Martin