Take Note
Say Cheese!
A decade ago, Kansas City Public Television aired a 10-part series, Generation XL, which examined “the obstacles and challenges facing schools in their battle against sedentary lifestyles and bad eating habits among children.” Through Take Note, we are checking in with some of the local foot soldiers in this ongoing battle of bulge. The update,…
Tipping The Scale
Like every dieter, the Kansas City region has made its share of resolutions. We would, collectively, move more and consume less. We would cut down on barbecue and stock up on vegetables. Most significantly, we would halt the alarming increase in obesity among our children. We formed commissions and task forces. Our leaders issued challenges…
Just This
Kansas City Public Schools District Superintendent Mark Bedell has embraced a three-pronged approach to reduce suspensions and counteract ineffective discipline measures. It involves the implementation of restorative justice, the use of meditation, and a focus on growing the district’s mentorship program. Take Note recently examined restorative justice. In this report, we take a look at…
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 commissioner Margie Vandeven and make a bigger push for the expansion of charter schools. Watch KCPT Week in Review host Nick Haines, Mara Rose Williams, Sam Zeff, Scott Parks and Dave Helling discuss the issues during…
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 restorative justice, meditation and mentorship. As Take Note begins its examination of the plan, we explore the components of restorative justice and its potential applications for any school, large or small. Follow “Take Note: Our City. Our Schools….
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 Kansas City argue that it’s hard for some families to navigate a school landscape that offers more than 30 elementary options and many other avenues for serving students. SchoolSmartKC and Show Me KC Schools are two…
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 other Sandy Hook parents founded Sandy Hook Promise to lobby for background checks. That was part of what she spoke about on Monday at the annual Heartland Coalition Against Gun Violence forum, which…
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 butterfly. “He’s my beautiful baby boy with captivating eyes and infectious giggle and warm deep cuddles. He loved looking at the moon every night. He loved to eat garlic bread, and he…
Winning by Attrition
As its name suggests, University Academy was created to prepare students for college. By most measures, the charter school in Kansas City is a tremendous success. In 2016, University Academy received a 100 percent score on the state’s Annual Performance Report. All the graduating seniors received offers to attend a four-year college. The results look…
Rethinking ‘Troublemakers’
Turn the Page KC, the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department and the mayor’s office convened school district leaders and community stakeholders in September to review city-wide suspension data. This data from the Center for Civil Rights Remedies at the Civil Rights Project at UCLA showed in a 2015 study that Missouri suspended black elementary students,…