Take Note
Money Issues Hamper Progress In Some School Districts
What’s the best way to ensure that future generations get the best education possible? For many people, the answer is simple: money. More specifically, these proponents argue that additional funding must go toward attracting and retaining quality teachers — arguably the most important component of the education system. The problem, however, is that school funding…
There Is A Way To Boost Achievement of Low-Income Students
The economic divide is a big driver of educational inequality around the country and here in the Kansas City area. But does that have to be a given? The hope is that the school of the future can narrow the opportunity gap between wealthy and low-income school districts. To a large extent, this means adding…
School Shootings Pit Safety Vs. Pedagogy
In the aftermath of World War II, amidst Cold War tensions with the Soviets, U.S. students practiced “duck and cover” drills to prepare for nuclear attack. Fast forward more than half a century, and one of the most common safety precautions in schools today has nothing to do with a far-off threat; “active shooter” drills…
Kansas City Public Schools Takes Big Step Toward Full Accreditation
The Kansas City Public Schools district is one of just a handful throughout Missouri that is not fully accredited by the state, but that could change based upon annual performance results released today by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Kansas City district scored an 82.9 percent on the report card, which…
The Death of Cursive
Heather Kincaid remembers learning to write cursive at Raymore Elementary School back in the ‘90s. The curlicue method of shorthand excited her — it was something grownups could do. Through the repetitive classroom exercises, complete with wide-ruled paper resembling newsprint and perfectly sharpened pencils, Kincaid became fluent in the style of handwriting that is sparingly…
Fueling the Body and Mind in the School of the Future
A healthy diet. Regular exercise. Unplugging from technology. Sound familiar? Those are all things that adults know they should do. The same goes for kids, but just like grownups, they can fall short — sometimes through no fault of their own. But schools are helping pick up the slack — providing nutritious meals, getting kids…
Southwest High was Once a Premier School. What Happened?
It boasts notable graduates, including acclaimed rapper Tech N9ne, the wealthy founders of H&R Block and celebrated journalist Calvin Trillin. Now Southwest High School is in decay and part of a heated debate about the future of public education in Kansas City. The building still looks beautiful on the outside. Towering Corinthian columns and a…
A Digital Downside: Cyberbullying
In the old days, the mean kid at school would rough up people on the playground or shove them out of the way at the water fountain. But the advent of technology has brought with it the person who harasses classmates on social media or hacks into their online accounts. As the digital world continues…
Grading the Soft Skills
It’s the time-honored question from students: when are we going to use this in real life? But as we have seen in this season of Take Note, schools are increasingly focused on the “soft” skills that are relevant for the workplace, such as critical thinking and team work. That brings up another question for the…
Are School Buildings Obsolete?
A “school without walls” is typically a euphuism for a building that substitutes collaborative learning for the standard approach of stationing teachers in front of a classroom full of students. But the internet age has brought us to a point where walls literally are superfluous — where students do their work online as part of…