Although Wichita Public Schools consume nearly double the tax dollars that go through City Hall, candidates for school board have drawn far less campaign money than local government candidates in this year’s races. In the mayoral primary, candidate Lily Wu notably raised $207,000 during the first campaign reporting period, which ran Jan. 1 through July […]
Education
The Wichita Beacon shares local news stories about education. Learn about the news stories affecting you and your community.
Posted inEducation
Know your rights: Your child’s school must communicate in a language you understand
Report cards, parent-teacher conferences, handbooks, permission slips. If parents and guardians don’t speak the same languages as their child’s teachers and staff, those routine school communications get more complex. But language shouldn’t become a barrier to families understanding nuances of their children’s education. Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights as […]
Posted inDIY Democracy, Education, Elections
Trans rights, mental health and student safety: USD 259 school board at-large candidates answer your questions
Last month, The Wichita Beacon surveyed our readers to find out what they most want to know about candidates running for local office. Questions for Wichita school board candidates centered on these themes: transgender protections in schools, student safety, mental health and curriculum decisions. Only one school board seat, the at-large seat, drew enough Wichita […]
Posted inEducation
Kansas school boards can now pay themselves. Will they?
Some organizations, including the Kansas Association of School Boards, are concerned that paying school board members will take money out of classrooms.
Posted inEducation, Local Government
Here are Wichita’s USD 259 school board, mayor and City Council candidates for the 2023 election
June 1 was the deadline for local candidates to file with the Sedgwick County Election Office. Eight candidates filed to challenge the incumbent Wichita mayor, Brandon Whipple, who is seeking reelection. Another 10 candidates filed to run for the three of six City Council seats up for election this year. Three seats on the USD […]
Posted inEducation
Can new teachers sustain enthusiasm amid Wichita teacher shortage? One educator’s story
Wichita Public Schools started the 2022-23 school year 100 teachers short — a trend that matched many school districts across the country. Many teachers reported burnout and dissatisfaction with their jobs. Older teachers retired early while stressed, early-career teachers sought new professions, leading to the Wichita teacher shortage. The state of Kansas started to pass […]
Posted inEducation, Kansas State Government
Scholarships, tuition, transgender athletes: What’s changing in Kansas education law
New Kansas education laws will allow private school and home-schooled students to access more publicly funded resources and will create a new scholarship for adult learners in high-demand fields.
Posted inAccountability, Education, Health
A surge in fake pain pills is fueling a deadly epidemic among Wichita’s teens
What does youth fentanyl overdose look like? In Sedgwick County it often looks like parents finding their teenager dead in bed — or a toddler dead on the floor, fentanyl pills scattered next to him. That’s not supposed to happen. Parents expect kids at home to be safe, not at risk of the No. 1 […]
Posted inEducation
Do metal detectors at Wichita public high schools make students feel safer?
The following article discusses school shootings and drug use. Editor’s Note: On Sept. 2, 2022, our high school correspondent Joyce Davis, a sophomore at South High, was walking to class after lunch when she suddenly saw students running and someone yelling, “Someone has a gun!” It was quickly determined there was not a gun being […]
Posted inEducation
‘Library of Things’: 12 things you can borrow (besides books)
The Wichita Public Library has more than a half-million books but also 18 telescopes, 12 radon detectors and 10 microscopes. And with nothing more than a library card, you can borrow a book or a piece of science equipment under the same terms: check it out for free use for 14 days. “Public libraries exist […]