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.
