When The Beacon first launched its newsroom and community journalism lab in Kansas City, we made a commitment to do more than just cover the news. We wanted to transform who shapes it, how it’s told and whom it serves. That commitment came into focus when a parent and advocate, Tricia McGhee, emailed The Beacon […]
Education
Posted inState Government
Teaching Kansas students to read gets tougher after $22.6 million federal funding cut
Kansas used federal money on an evidence-based reading program. It was helping Kansas students improve their reading skills after pandemic learning loss.
Posted inState Government
For the first time, Missouri may spend public funds on private school vouchers
Gov. Mike Kehoe and the Missouri House have pushed for $50 million in state funds to go toward scholarships for homeschooled and private-school students.
Posted inEducation
Schools look to landmark Supreme Court ruling to protect undocumented immigrant students from ICE
Amid rumors and fear, Plyler v. Doe decision guarantees the right of undocumented immigrant children to attend K-12 public schools.
Posted inElections
Kansas Board of Education: Your election guide to the 2024 showdowns
Half the seats on the Kansas Board of Education are up for election. The 10-seat board is losing three of the more moderate elected officials, which could swing the political leanings of the board to the left or right. The Beacon asked Board of Education candidates the same list of questions to see their priorities […]
Posted inEducation
How a Wichita State program could help solve Kansas’ teacher shortage
Raising five children and working as a teacher’s aide in Newton left Emily Crawford with too little time to take college classes to become a teacher. So she became an apprentice — earning a teacher’s salary ahead of schedule. All those hours tied up in the classroom helped pave her path to a college degree, […]
Posted inWichita
A parent’s guide to enrolling kids in Wichita-area schools
Micah Vannover spent Tuesday afternoon with her children touring Earhart Environmental Magnet School with confidence. “I do feel like this is going to be a really good school for my kids, just for the opportunities that it has compared to the others,” Vannover said. “Education is what gets kids going far in life. You can […]
Posted inEducation
Where to get school supplies in Wichita
Above all else, Zinab Chahine said, remember to stock up on school supplies early. Chahine came with her first-grade daughter to Earhart Environmental Magnet School on Tuesday for in-person enrollment ahead of Wichita Public Schools’ first day of class, Aug. 14. “Last year we were late to buy them, and that really bit us in […]
Posted inEducation
Why finding enough substitute teachers is a daily challenge for Wichita schools
In the gig worker era of Uber and DoorDash, Wichita Public Schools seeks its own on-demand employees — substitute teachers. COVID-19 pandemic troubles, low wages and licensing hurdles have over the last five years tamped down the number of people signing up to substitute teach. “There’s assignments that don’t get filled almost every day,” recruiter […]
Posted inEducation
Some Park Elementary neighbors oppose Wichita homeless shelter plan
Bobby Harlan gazed over the shuttered grounds of Park Elementary School, which he attended 32 years ago, and shared his disappointment about its future. “How can it be a homeless shelter?” he said. “This neighborhood needs a school.” First came the news in March that Wichita schools would be closing the school to save on […]