Some children, the experts say, need to talk about their concerns. That, they say, needs to be balanced against dwelling too much on what happened or trying to force conversations that could backfire.
Maria Benevento
Maria Benevento is The Beacon’s education reporter. She joined The Beacon as a Report for America corps member. In addition to her work at The Beacon, she’s reported for the National Catholic Reporter, Columbia Missourian and St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Her education reporting began in 2017, and she became a full-time Kansas City education reporter with The Beacon in mid-2021. She graduated from Creighton University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in theology and American studies. In 2021, she graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a master's degree in journalism. She’s lived in Missouri most of her life and first moved to Kansas City in 2017.
Posted inEducation
Six USD 259 schools will shutter in 2024 if the Wichita school board approves the plan
In making school closure recommendations, administrators focused on schools with low enrollment, bad building conditions and small classrooms, said Susan Willis, the district’s chief financial officer.
Posted inEducation, Kansas State Government
These bills could change funding, hiring and enrollment in Wichita Public Schools
What the Legislature does or doesn’t do this year will determine the flow of state tax dollars to Wichita Public Schools, the ultimate cost or savings of closing some schools and how Kansas might attract new educators to fix a teacher shortage.
Posted inEducation
Students need guidance on AI. Are Wichita schools ready?
Wichita-area schools know they need to figure out AI. How it could save teachers time or help students learn. How to avoid AI plagiarism. How to prepare students for a future where AI might be everywhere.
Posted inEducation
Wichita’s developing plan to close schools this year: 10 things to know
The call to close schools after the spring semester raises serious questions about what will happen to families, staff and buildings. Here’s what we know so far.
Posted inEducation
Know your rights: How to ensure a child with disabilities can get a better public education in Kansas
An appropriate public education can look different for each child, and parents have a huge role to play in determining which services their child may need.
Posted inEducation
Why snow days will be for sledding, not schooling in Wichita
In Wichita and several neighboring districts, students can still spend their snow days sledding, building snowmen or curled up with a mug of hot chocolate.
Posted inEducation
Did a Goddard teacher cross a line by teaching Christian music to students?
Two specific songs,“Praise His Holy Name” and “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” — and concerns about how the teacher presented them to students — sit at the center of a complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Posted inEducation
Does Christian music belong in Kansas public schools? It depends
Two specific songs,“Praise His Holy Name” and “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” — and concerns about how the teacher presented them to students — sit at the center of a complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Posted inEducation
Kansas students will need more than coursework to earn a diploma
New requirements approved by the Kansas State Board of Education insist that students complete two “postsecondary assets” — achievements or experiences that prepare them for higher education or the workforce — before they can walk across the stage.