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Season 1: The Way We Are

Home | Take Note | Season 1: The Way We Are

Our City. Our Schools. Our Future.

An in-depth look at education in the Kansas City metropolitan area, where we are, how we got here and where we need to go.

In the Kansas City region, the story of education has many chapters. Take Note uncovers where we are succeeding, asks how we can improve, and reports with an eye toward the future. From programs and policies that are shaping education across the nation to how they affect us here at home, we are committed to our city, our schools and our future. Together, we’ll tell the stories that matter, the stories that make an impact. We want to know — what stories do you have for us, and what can we find out for you?
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Take Note, Season 1: The Way We Are

Generation XL: A 10-Year Weigh-In

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Generation XL: A 10-Year Weigh-In
Ten years after an in depth examination of the issues relating to childhood obesity, KCPT checks in to see what progress has …
By Flatland
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"E" Is For Exercise
A decade ago, Kansas City Public Television aired a 10-part series, Generation XL, which examined “the obstacles and challe…
By Cody Boston
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Say Cheese!
A decade ago, Kansas City Public Television aired a 10-part series, Generation XL, which examined “the obstacles and challe…
By Cody Boston
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Tipping The Scale
Like every dieter, the Kansas City region has made its share of resolutions. We would, collectively, move more and consume le…
By Barbara Shelly
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Just This
Kansas City Public Schools District Superintendent Mark Bedell has embraced a three-pronged approach to reduce suspensions an…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Week In Review: School Choice in Missouri
Across Missouri, there's swirling speculation that Gov. Eric Greitens and the State Board of Education plan to oust education…
By Nick Haines
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How Kansas City Schools Are Using a Restorative Justice Approach to Discipline
Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell is approaching discipline reform with a three-part plan focused on rest…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Too Much of a Good Thing?
Choice can be a double-edged sword when complexity is the opposite side of opportunity. Indeed, some education advocates in K…
By Tammy Worth
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Creating Change from Tragedy
Nicole Hockley's son, Dylan, was one of 20 first graders killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. After the tragedy, she and …
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Learning from Sandy Hook
Part of Nicole Hockley is frozen in a world before Dec. 14, 2012, when her 6-year-old son Dylan would pretend he was a butter…
By Dawn Bormann Novascone
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Winning by Attrition
As its name suggests, University Academy was created to prepare students for college. By most measures, the charter school in…
By Flatland
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Rethinking 'Troublemakers'
Turn the Page KC, the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department and the mayor’s office convened school district leaders and c…
By Flatland
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American Graduate Day
American Graduate Day 2017 is a four-hour, live broadcast and outreach event dedicated to engaging our country around the dro…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Looking to Bear Fruit
In the orchards of Lafayette County, which is located just to the north and east of Kansas City, the peaches are giving way t…
By Dawn Bormann Novascone
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Switching The Script
Nearly two decades ago, Atlanta aimed to revitalize its crime-plagued “Little Vietnam” neighborhood, and an innovative ch…
By Tammy Worth
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Understanding Trauma-Informed Care
School districts around the region are embracing the idea that educators must understand underlying issues, such as a violent…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Feeding the Mind
Education and nutrition go hand in hand. If a child is hungry or malnourished, it’s a good bet they can’t concentrate on …
By Jesse Howe
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If These Walls Could Talk
Over the course of past month, Take Note has been listening to area youth as we explore the intersection of trauma and educat…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Trauma-Informed Care Transforms Lee’s Summit School
Summit Ridge Academy administrators knew that old-school discipline wasn’t cutting it. Instead of suspension, many kids at …
By Dawn Bormann Novascone
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Forging Their Own Path
Kenya Davis is a product of the Kansas City, Kansas, school district, as is her oldest daughter. But Davis’ enthusiasm for …
By Tammy Worth
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Summer Meal Programs Work, But ...
The quest to address childhood hunger in the Kansas City region unites concerned citizens of all types around one of the most…
By Dawn Bormann Novascone
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We Struggle, Too
There's a perception that the grass is greener in the Blue Valley School District. That may be. After all, the academic score…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Preparing for College | Common Grounds
The "Take Note" Team convenes 2017 high school graduates from around the metro to discuss their opinions on school quality an…
By Catherine Wheeler
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In His Shoes
Eighteen year old Josh Metje has a prestigious scholarship awaiting him at NYU, but to get there, he's faced his own share o…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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United Way Program Propels Students To College, Beyond
Graduating from Park University would’ve been a stretch for a child of immigrants, if not for the United Way of Greater Kan…
By Binita Dahal
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Building From Within
It took three years and two superintendents, but in 2013, a band of Kansas City Public Schools parents achieved the unthinkab…
By Tammy Worth
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Working Toward a Solution
Summer internships and jobs might be a rite of passage. But often inner-city kids lose out to well-connected families that ca…
By Dawn Bormann Novascone
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Defining "Our" with Nicholas Dorn
At Take Note we like to say, "This is Our City. Our Schools. Our Future." but, as we've been noting, the word "our" is used…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Student Voices | The Perks of College in High School
Take Note partners with Johnson County Community College's Promotional Writing class for stories of JCCC students who pursu…
By Flatland
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Defining "Our" with Charles King
At Take Note, we like to say, "This is Our City, Our Schools, Our Future," but the word "our" is used differently by differen…
By Flatland
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Failing To Succeed
Few industry leaders want to point out why their great ideas ultimately fell flat. Jobs, grants, money and pride could be at …
By Dawn Bormann Novascone
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Common Grounds | Mental Health
On this episode of Common Grounds, the family and friends of Ryan Hill, an Olathe High School alumni who died by suicide shor…
By Flatland
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Research Says ‘Voucher’ Programs Can Help Students
The drawings depict rainbows, hearts, flowers and crosses — thank-you’s to the Catholic Education Foundation in Kansas Ci…
By Tammy Worth
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Leading With Heart
At Take Note we like to say, "This is Our City. Our Schools. Our Future." but, as we've been noting, the word "our" is used d…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Focus On: School Choice
Here at Take Note, we're asking: How do you create school choice through (blank)? For people in the Kansas City metropolitan …
By Kirstin A. McCudden
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Excuse Me, Do You Have a Moment To Talk About Education In Kansas City?
What do you know about education in Kansas City? Whether you're a parent, educator, or just a Kansas Citian, education matter…
By Flatland
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Mental Health Resources for Area Families
A child’s mental health affects success in school. Mental health disorders can result in poor school performance and attend…
By Flatland
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Weighing The Choice Of Charters
Charter schools have traditionally filled a hole left by underperforming districts in Missouri. But what if that structure wa…
By Dawn Bormann Novascone
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However You Say It, Kansas City is Home
Whether they speak Nepali. Spanish, French, Bermese or another language, these Gladstone Elementary students call Kansas City…
By Multiple Reporters
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All Smiles
It's not the most academically rigorous benchmark, but Linda Hinkley, a longtime teacher in the Hickman Mills School District…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Common Grounds | Immigration
The Take Note team convenes education stakeholders for a conversation over coffee to discuss immigration, entrepreneurship an…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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School Tours | A Simplified Guide to Investing in Our Schools
Choosing which school to send your child to can be a complicated process. Depending on where you live, your options may inclu…
By Flatland
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New KC Education Nonprofit Announces Next Round of Funding
A new Kansas City, Missouri, nonprofit has announced the second round of funding as part of a decade-long effort to improve a…
By Binita Dahal
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Kansas City Week in Review | Take Note Superintendents Roundtable
With education stories making the news both nationally and locally, this Take Note Special addresses education issues in the …
By Nick Haines
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Cracking The Code For Immigrant Students
Tucked within a quiet Kansas City community, Crestview Elementary School is pretty unassuming. But once inside the building, …
By Dawn Bormann Novascone
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To Be Happy
In many ways Happy Melly is your typical middle schooler who loves to play soccer and spend time with his family. But he also…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Ruckus | Show Me KC Schools' Tricia Johnson
Ruckus' Mike Shanin interviews Tricia Johnson, executive director of Show Me KC Schools, about her organization's eff…
By Flatland
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Common Grounds | School Choice
The Take Note team convenes education stakeholders for a conversation over coffee to discuss school choice options …
By Flatland
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Perspectives
These vignettes are part of a collaboration between "Take Note: Our Schools. Our City. Our Future." and Johnson Cou…
By Flatland
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Volunteer Opportunities: Mentoring
At-risk students who meet regularly with a mentor are less likely to skip school and more likely to enroll in college, accord…
By Flatland
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Local Action Drives Education Policy
Betsy DeVos has proven to be one of the most controversial players in President Trump’s new lineup, with her conservative i…
By Dawn Bormann Novascone
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School Funding: The Devil's in the Details
School funding is a topic that regularly makes headlines but isn't often understood. With so much at stake, Take Note breaks …
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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"The Bad Kids” Resonates with Students, Faculty at Kansas City Alternative High School
Before coming to DeLaSalle Education Center, NaKira, who is a high school senior in Kansas City, Missouri, says that she felt…
By Multiple Reporters
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Perceptions Continue to Shape Districts
When Heidi Van moved to the West Plaza with her two young children, she joined a vanguard of families staying in Kansas City …
By Dawn Bormann Novascone
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The Science of Believing
What is the single biggest factor related to student achievement? You'll find it buried deep in a 50-year-old document. You'l…
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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How We Got Here
It has taken us more than a century to get here. That's the first thing we come to realize as we explore the current state …
By Kevin Patrick Allen
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Take Note: Does ZIP Code Matter?
Should where a child rests his or her head at night impact the quality of the education they receive? KCPT and American Publi…
By Flatland
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Ruckus: Newsmaker Mike McShane
In December, Ruckus host Mike Shanin interviewed Mike McShane, Director of Education Policy for the Show Me Institute, abou…
By Flatland