Several Kansas City schools, and the communities they serve, are also making plans for school closures as the 2022-23 academic year wraps up.
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
William Jewell students to launch documentary series on college ties to slavery
The SMJP is producing a documentary series titled “Untold Stories of Slavery and Resistance” about their slavery research, with plans to release the first episode the week of May 8 on YouTube.
Posted inEducation
Commission recommends renaming Jewell Hall after enslaved people who built it
A commission created to study William Jewell College’s historical ties to slavery recommends renaming Jewell Hall, its oldest building, to honor the enslaved people who built it. The commission’s recommendations, finalized earlier this month, not only include renaming Jewell Hall, but also updating the college’s history to address slavery, bringing more Black faculty and writers […]
Posted inEducation
How good is my school district? Making sense of Missouri’s new scoring system
The scores sum up the annual performance reports that DESE puts out most years as part of its Missouri School Improvement Program to evaluate districts and identify areas for improvement.
Posted inEducation
The foundation seeking to spread Christian education with state support
An examination of its public statements and partnerships shows a foundation that has aligned itself with conservative figures, awarded grants to schools that exclude LGBTQ students and families, and funded science teacher training that promotes a literal interpretation of the Biblical creation story in opposition to scientific consensus on evolution.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Education
The votes are in for 2023 Kansas City-area school board elections
Here’s a look at the preliminary results from the April 4 election. The Beacon published Q&As with many of the candidates ahead of the elections, so follow the links to learn more about the winners.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Education
Seven questions with the 2023 North Kansas City school board candidates
The Kansas City Beacon invited all candidates to participate in a virtual school board forum March 16. Wagner, Stoflet and Mercer attended.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Education
What happens when there are no KCPS school board candidates on the ballot?
Two candidates, Monica Curls and Jay Gray, have declared as write-in candidates, according to the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Education
Meet your 2023 Raytown school board candidates
Seven candidates will appear on the ballot: Shaun Bryant, Madelyne Douglas, Jules Sneddon, Michael Watson Jr., Torrence Kelley, Nodie Newton III and Rick Moore.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Education
These are the priorities for the 2023 Liberty school board candidates
Five candidates — Angela Reed, AJ Byrd, Kira Montuori, Brian Ahart and Amanda Beers — responded to the questionnaire.