Mail-in and in-person voting begin this month. To help voters make their decisions, The Wichita Beacon asked all USD 259 school board candidates to respond to questions submitted by readers. Questions focused on the teacher shortage, classroom content and student and teacher safety. The three school board seats up for election are for the 3rd […]
Wichita USD 259
Posted inEducation
Schools get first aid kits to treat gunshots, but teachers have a more immediate safety worry
The Wichita Metro Crime Commission in September presented 11 area schools with Stop the Bleed first aid kits — small red bags filled with emergency medical supplies used to treat deep wounds. Although the kits are not new to area schools, their appearance is one sign of escalating concerns about student safety and conduct. With […]
Posted inEducation
A Black parent’s guide: How to help protect your kids from racism at school
Students have a right to a safe and discrimination-free environment while at school. But when acts of racism or discrimination happen, what can a parent do to protect their child?
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, 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 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 inDIY Democracy, Education
DIY Democracy: How to run for school board in Wichita
When you want to run for a spot on the Wichita Unified School District 259 Board of Education, there is a lot to dissect, understand and complete.