Tag Archives: Charter Schools

Charter Schools .

Scholarly, Culturally Literate & Service-Oriented: Crossroads Academy

We take an inside look at the inaugural year of the new charter school in downtown Kansas City, Crossroads Academy, which offers grades K-5.

This week, you might say the theme is school, or what we do when it finally lets out for the summer!

We’ll start by introducing you to a new charter school that lots of us are just beginning to learn about–The Crossroads Academy. Sponsored by the University of Central Missouri, it is wrapping up its first year in operation, offering grades K-5. Eventually, they’ll expand to K-8.

Despite the name, you won’t find it in the Crossroads. This school that embraces what they term 21st Century Learning is actually smack dab in the middle of downtown.

Crossroads Academy, by the way, defines the boundaries of downtown for its student body as the Missouri River to Linwood, State Line to Woodland. Classes for next year, including the addition of 6th grade classes, are already filled up. There is currently a waiting list.

Coverage of downtown stories provided in part by the Downtown Council of Kansas City.

Tags: Charter Schools, Education, The Local Show, TLS332

The Local Show-September 1, 2011: Charter Schools Special

KCPT explores the phenomenon of Charter Schools their role in Kansas City.

More than a decade after Kansas City opened its first charter schools, they have now become a sought after choice. Today, one in three children in the Kansas City, Missouri school district is enrolled in a charter school. Kansas City ranks 4th in the nation for the percentage of students enrolled in charter schools, but how are they working? Are they any better than traditional public schools? As Efforts are underway in Jefferson City to expand charters statewide, you’re about to hear a whole lot more about them. The Local Show presents an hour-long conversation on the subject as we deliver a charter school status report, break down the myths and facts and bring together those on the frontlines of the debate.

A Primer for Parents: The ABCs of Charter Schools

In this this special edition of The Local Show, we’re joined by a cast of thousands. With us are state lawmakers, including the representative from St. Louis who wants to expand charter schools statewide, the head of the Senate Education Committee, two Kansas City School Board members, including the school board chair, the head of the teachers union, the head of UMKC’s Charter school program, the executive director of the Missouri Charter Public School Association, an education leader at the Kauffman Foundation and a longtime journalist and author who has been closely following the charter school debate.

Tags: Charter Schools, e204, Local, The Local Show, TLS204

The Local Show Special: Charter Schools

With recent documentaries like “Waiting for Superman,” Charter Schools are one of the hottest topics when it comes to conversations on how to fix our education system. The Local Show hosts a special Charter School forum with guests from the frontlines of this debate, breaking down the myths and facts, and providing an in-depth and informative look at what Charter Schools mean for the Kansas City area.

Watch Thursday, September 1, 2011 at 7pm.

Tags: Charter Schools, e204, Education, The Local Show, TLS204

A Primer for Parents: The ABCs of Charter Schools

What, exactly, are charters? How do they function in Kansas City? And, most importantly, what are they doing to help improve education for Kansas City’s students?

Twenty years ago the charter school movement began with the passage of legislation in the state of Minnesota. City Academy High School in St. Paul was opened in an effort to provide choice and competition, starting what would become a national movement. In 1998, Missouri joined the charter ranks. Today, nearly 20,000 Missouri students are enrolled in 51 charters. Kansas City alone has over 20 charter schools with nearly 9,000 enrolled students. In fact, Kansas City ranks fourth in the nation behind only New Orleans, the District of Columbia, and Detroit with a 32 percent market share. That means almost 1 in 3 Kansas City Missouri school district kids go to a charter school. Despite these large numbers, few people are aware of the true significance of charters and many questions remain unanswered. Although national documentaries such as The Lottery and Waiting for Superman have brought additional light to the presence of charter schools, and even the Obama Administration’s “Race to the Top” education reform plan prominently features them, many questions remain unanswered. What, exactly, are charters? How do they function in Kansas City? And, most importantly, what are they doing to help improve education for Kansas City’s students?

On September 1 at 7 pm, KCPT will air a special on charter schools that will answer these questions and provide a balanced look into the nation’s hottest education topic. Featuring interviews and a panel composed of lawmakers, school board members, a union representative, journalists, non-profit leaders and educators, KCPT will lead the way in an essential and engaging discussion about what we need to do to finally fix our city’s biggest problem: education.

With all the confusion about charter schools, The Local Show tries to dispel some of the myths and misconceptions. Are charter schools free? Can a charter school charge tuition? Can anyone attend a charter school? Can a charter school restrict admission for any reason? Do charter school teachers have to be certified?
Can anyone open a charter school? Do charter schools get the same amount of money to educate a child as a traditional public school? We tackle these questions and more on this special edition of The Local Show.