Suzanne Perez
Suzanne Perez is a longtime journalist covering education and general news for KMUW and the Kansas News Service. Before coming to KMUW, she worked at The Wichita Eagle, where she covered schools and a variety of other topics.
Suzanne grew up in North Carolina and earned a bachelor's degree in English from North Carolina State University. She moved to Wichita in 1990 and has two children. When not reporting, Suzanne enjoys reading, walking her dog, and obsessing over every new leaf on her houseplants.
Suzanne can be reached by email at perez@kmuw.org.
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Library workers in K-12 schools are bound by federal laws that those in public libraries might not be. Because school library histories are part of a student’s educational record, parents can see them.
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The latest controversy involves what is normally a routine practice for school boards. Derby's five-year blueprint was crafted by dozens of parents, students, employees and community members.
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Two Republican members of the Kansas school board were ousted by more conservative challengers who have criticized lessons on racism, sexuality and gender identity.
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A grant from the U.S. Russia Foundation will fund free online Russian language classes for Kansas high school students. The courses also explore Russia’s history, culture and politics.
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The Kansas teacher shortage has been building for years. But new research by the RAND Corporation shows that the COVID-19 pandemic increased teachers’ levels of stress and burnout and may be accelerating the exodus.
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A group in charge of evaluating Kansas graduation requirements says classroom time is a poor yardstick for measuring learning. It's arguing for ways to let local school districts sub in real-world experiences and other metrics more calibrated to the 21st century.
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Together, the state's six major public universities — KU, K-State, Wichita State, Emporia State, Fort Hays State and Pittsburg State — offer more than 1,500 degree programs. And some experts say that’s too much.
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Two years into the COVID pandemic, students aren’t returning to public school in droves. So Kansas districts are starting budget talks with pared-down enrollment numbers and tightened belts.
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Conservatives say the plan would give families stuck in failing school districts a chance at a life-changing escape. But school administrators fear a flood of students they’re not prepared for and who come with needs they can’t afford to accommodate.
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Researchers at Kansas State University said hemp could be a natural way to decrease stress-related respiratory infections and other ailments when cattle are being transported or weaned off their mothers.