Update: On Jan. 12, 2022, the Kansas State Board of Education declared a state of emergency and created a less restrictive path to becoming a substitute teacher. With that action, the board established a Temporary Emergency Authorized License (TEAL), which will generally allow anyone over the age of 18 with a high school diploma to […]
Rafael Garcia
Posted inEducation
What’s the key to better classroom performance? Haysville thinks it could be more recess
One of the hardest decisions 6-year-old MacKenna Darling makes each morning is picking what she’ll do at each of the four recesses her class has every day at Freeman Elementary School. Some recesses, the first grader prefers going down the slide — fast most of the time, but sometimes slowly. Other times, a game of […]
Posted inEducation
This nontraditional center is breaking school norms, and Derby students are thriving
Charli Campbell had two life goals when he was 5 years old. The first was to be a princess, but given the logistics of that, the second seemed more feasible: to be a musician, a writer, an actor — really, anything in which he could be a creator. Somewhere along his time in school, though, […]
Posted inEducation
Falling through the (sidewalk) cracks: Why it’s so hard for Wichita students to walk to school
The five minutes Margaret Shabazz and her daughter Essence spend walking to Park Elementary School every morning are some of the best moments they share. On their way to the school on North Main Street, the mother and kindergartner pass neighbors and other students and parents. It’s pleasing to see everyone each morning, Shabazz said. […]
Posted inEducation, Local Government
Young people are some of the least likely to vote. These young Wichitans are working to change that.
Dione Ramos didn’t think her first time voting would be special. She certainly didn’t expect a live band, a DJ blaring Ariana Grande and Camila Cabello, free tacos and recognition of first-time voters. But that’s what Vote Mob provided on Oct. 26. The annual celebration of voting is organized by local youth-led civic engagement group […]
Posted inDIY Democracy, Education
How to attend, watch or comment at Wichita-area school board meetings
School boards over the past year and a half have found themselves unexpectedly in the crosshairs of public attention amid divisive topics, including critical race theory, mask requirements, and quarantine and isolation policies. But speaking out at school board meetings does not have to be a confrontation, and many school boards in Kansas provide easy […]
Posted inEducation
Wichita Board of Education candidates weigh in on COVID, engagement and diversity
How should Wichita schools keep students safe during the pandemic? How can parents be more engaged? How can the school system find post-pandemic success? With nine people running for four seats on the Wichita Board of Education, The Wichita Beacon surveyed the candidates on several issues ahead of the Nov. 2 election. In the race […]
Posted inEducation
The F word families dread: FAFSA season is here
It’s financial aid season across the U.S., and high school seniors and college students are already figuring out how they’ll pay for their education next year. A big part of that calculation will be the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a yearly financial aid application process for students who can’t pay for their post-high […]
Posted inEducation
Few Wichita students walk to school. Here’s why they should.
It’s not every day that fifth graders Terrance Brobst and Jackson Fasig get to walk to school together, but the days they do are some of their favorites. It’s one of the things they missed most when they were stuck at home during the pandemic’s remote learning stages. “We get to walk, talk with our […]
Posted inEducation
Wichita State betting on Hispanics becoming 25% of all students by 2030
Valeria Paunetto was torn between two identities when her family came to Wichita from Puerto Rico six years ago. “I was at a crossroads where I had to ask myself if I wanted to assimilate and play the game — to not be myself and be who others wanted me to be. Would I be […]