Education
An Exchange of a Lifetime
By Debbie Coleman-Topi Amid the riots unleashed following the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., a spark of hope quietly ignited in the center of the country. That flicker was right here, in Kansas City, where Catholic leaders launched an experiment that confronted race head-on by bringing black and white students literally face to…
The Cost of Churn: Evictions Hinder Classroom Progress for Kids
Tameko Davison’s children were well into the routine of a school year when turmoil intervened in the form of an eviction notice. Davison fell behind on payments, and the gas was shut off to her government-subsidized apartment in Kansas City. That violated a Kansas City Housing Authority rule and caused her to lose her rent…
If Your Teacher Looks Likes You, You May Do Better In School
Think back to grade school for a moment and envision that one teacher who could captivate you more than any other. Did that teacher look a bit like you? One recent study says: probably. There’s mounting evidence that when black students have black teachers, those students are more likely to graduate high school. That new…
Libraries Out Loud | Preview
Libraries have always had their fans, but the hushed, warehouse experience of the past is gone. In fact, there has been an important revolution in what our libraries do, and here in Kansas City we have some of the best in the country. Through a series of four short films, Flatland explores and celebrates four…
Whirring, Purring Fidget Spinners Provide Entertainment, Not ADHD Help
Fidget spinners — the trendy toy of the moment — are causing a commotion. A lot of kids love them, just as many teachers hate them and some people think they’re more than just toys. The basic fidget spinner has three prongs centered around a circle with bearings in the middle. Take one prong, give…
Where Nature and Science Meet at the Farmhouse
Eleven-year-old Jamie O’Connell Case hangs out with her classmates like any other schoolgirl, but her farm time is special, when she holds her baby goats, weaves fleece, and studies the heavens, along with many things below. Nestled along rolling hills just east of Interstate 49, at the outskirts of Kansas City, Missouri, is her family’s…
Blue Springs is Latest Battleground For Education Program
Laura Shepherd loved it when the kids entering Franklin Smith Elementary got a morning hug from the principal. But that was last year. This year, Shepherd hated watching building leaders at the Blue Springs, Missouri, school greet her fourth-grader and other students with handshakes. “I’m like, ‘They are not mini-adults. They are kids,’” she said….
See Me, Feel Me
Walking out of her school library this morning, Manasvi Chennareddy gushed about spending the past hour learning about the variety of religions from around the world. “I didn’t know about Sikhs, or that other religions existed,” said Manasvi, a sixth-grader at Harmony Middle School in Overland Park. “And now I know all of their practices.”…
KC Charter School Purchases Former Bowling Alley
A Kansas City, Missouri, charter school that teaches core content through the arts plans to make a former bowling alley its new home. The Academy for Integrated Arts (AFIA) said Tuesday that it has purchased a roughly 40,000-square foot building at 7910 Troost Ave., built in 1955 to house King Louie East. AFIA is an…
The Younger Games
When Lee’s Summit West High School’s archery team broke the Missouri state record for highest team score on January 30th, head coach David Winslow looked over to his staff. High-fiving and hugging each other, his assistant coaches reveled in the moment. It was the accumulation of work that had been years in the making. Nearby,…