Take Note
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 academic achievement among public school students in the city. SchoolSmartKC, a project that started as part of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, this week said it was making at least $1.5 million available to…
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 metro, from funding to how changes in Washington impact area school districts. Nick Haines talks to area superintendents Dennis Carpenter, Hickman Mills; Todd White, Blue Valley; Dale Herl, Independence; and Patricia All, Olathe, about how they…
Cracking The Code For Immigrant Students
Tucked within a quiet Kansas City community, Crestview Elementary School is pretty unassuming. But once inside the building, at 4327 N. Holmes St., it’s impossible to miss the multicultural faces in the classrooms or the international flags lining the hallway. A third of Crestview’s 520 students participate in the English Language Learners program, and 45…
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 speaks three languages and had to travel thousands of miles to make Kansas City his new home. Happy Melly’s Journey to Kansas City Happy Melly immigrated from the Congo, where he…
Ruckus | Show Me KC Schools’ Tricia Johnson
Ruckus' Mike Shanin interviews Tricia Johnson, executive director of Show Me KC Schools, about her organization's efforts and the year-long KCPT education project, Take Note | Our City. Our Schools. Our Future. Johnson is a member of the Take Note advisory council. — Follow "Take Note: Our City. Our Schools. Our Future" as together, we tell the stories…
Common Grounds | School Choice
The Take Note team convenes education stakeholders for a conversation over coffee to discuss school choice options around the Kansas City area in a series we call Common Grounds. From homeschooling to charters to public schools, this lively discussion at Mother Earth Coffee in Hyde Park covers it all. Follow Take Note: Our City. Our Schools. Our Future as together, we…
Perspectives
These vignettes are part of a collaboration between "Take Note: Our Schools. Our City. Our Future." and Johnson County Community College’s Advanced Reporting class. Reporting students, directed by Professor Mark Raduziner, interviewed and photographed their subjects, gathering stories from international and local students and families, and bringing perspectives from a wide range of voices. The…
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, according to youth.gov. Other benefits are a decreased likelihood of drug and alcohol use, improved behavior and increased self-esteem, a benefit that is also shared by their mentors. Take Note is invested in changing…
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 ideology inflaming passions as she takes the helm of the Department of Education. But, are her critics taking their eyes off the ball? Perhaps so, argued University of Missouri Political Science Professor Peverill Squire. “The…
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 down the complex subject and finds the devil is in the details. Join us as we explore the complexities that make up school funding, and see how the past has influenced today’s funding. Follow Take…