WINTER 2016 HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM DIPLOMA+ SCHOLARSHIP INITIATIVE CYNTHIA LANE NAMED SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR SCHOOL LIBRARIES REMAIN RELEVANT AND RESOURCEFUL IN TODAY’S TECH-SAVVY WORLD 2010 N. 59th St., Kansas City, KS 66104 KS City, Kansas St., 59th N. 2010 Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Public Kansas City, Kansas EDUCATION CONNECTION — WINTER 2016 1 @V\)LSVUNH[2*2** :[HY[`V\YUL^`LHYUV^ ,UYVSSMVY1HU\HY`*SHZZLZ 4HPU*HTW\Z࠮;LJOUPJHS,K\JH[PVU*LU[LY࠮2*2**7PVULLY*LU[LYH[3LH]LU^VY[O ࠮^^^RJRJJLK\࠮HKTPZZ'RJRJJLK\ ¸(U,X\HS6WWVY[\UP[`,K\JH[PVUHS0UZ[P[\[PVU¹ 75050609 2 EDUCATION CONNECTION — WINTER 2016 MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT We live in a ensure KCKPS, and therefore the community, continues to excel and achieve. state where, if A key challenge in front of KCKPS (and all school you drive down districts) is to evolve our education system to meet the demands of our fast-moving global society. We almost any know that today, each student must have a solid rural road, you academic foundation, anchored by strong literacy skills, along with the work-ready skills required in will see barns professions of the future. One question we must that could continue to ask is: How do we transform the educa- tional experiences our students receive in a manner never have that will prepare them for the demands they will face been put up by in their futures? Forum participants grappled with this question, an individual even as they applauded the progress of the dis- Dr. Cynthia Lane working alone. trict. They expressed excitement about our students Superintendent of Schools graduating Diploma+, and offered constructive Communities raised feedback. By the end of the forum, we had collected these structures, and it is not a coincidence that we lists of ranked priorities. Top priorities for those in use the same word, “raised,” when we talk about attendance were: what we want for our children. • Opportunities for learning beyond Raising our children to be prepared for college, to the classroom possess the attributes of productive citizens and the • Early college and technical college classes skills of leaders, requires collective investment. In • Career exploration visits to business today’s fast-paced world, it can be easy to forget the and industry important lesson, bestowed most often by our elders, • Athletics that good things come to those who work hard and • Academic competitions serve the community. None of us became successful • Transportation due to individual effort alone. We rely on the collec- • Fine Arts tive efforts of those around us to become productive, • Technology contributing members of our The results of the conver- communities. sation will be used in future Working together, we can en- planning sessions by the board sure that quality education con- We rely on the and administrative team. We tinues to be accessible to each of look forward to future forums our 22,500 students. The decisions collective efforts of those in order to learn, engage, and to we make as a school district, and around us to become ensure our community shapes as a community, are vital, and “productive, contributing and influences the work of they require that we take time to members of our KCKPS. We hope you will take engage our stakeholders. advantage of the opportunity to I was so pleased that on communities. be involved. November 4, 2015, nearly 150 parents, students, community members, and business partners attended the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools’ (KCKPS) fall Community Forum. During the forum, Check” out Dr. Cynthia Lane’s attendees had the opportunity to learn, to engage, and to influence the important work underway in blog, “It’s Up to Us” at the district. We grappled with the challenges, and discussed the best course of action(s) to take to blog.kckps.org EDUCATION CONNECTION — WINTER 2016 3 IN THIS ISSUE Superintendent’s Message 3 Education Connection is a quarterly newsmagazine of the Kansas City, Kansas Board of Education’s Legislative Public Schools (KCKPS). Editorial copy and 5 Goals Focus Heavily on School photography are created by the KCKPS Funding Issues Communications Department and produced by NPG Newspapers. To receive a copy of the magazine, call (913) 279-2242. A Spanish 6 School Libraries Remain Relevant translation of the stories included in Education and Resourceful in Today’s Connection is available on the district’s website Tech-Savvy World at www.kckps.org/index.php/community- information. Hundreds of Students Benefi t from Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools 8 Diploma+ Scholarship Initiative Central Offi ce and Training Center 2010 N. 59th St. Cynthia Lane Named Kansas City, KS 66104 10 Superintendent of the Year (913) 551-3200 www.kckps.org 2015-2016 District Calendar (third quarter) Superintendent of Schools Dr. Cynthia Lane 2015 Reasons to Believe Chief of Communications 11 Alumni Honor Roll and Governmental Affairs Community Forum David A. Smith Communications Manager 12 2015 Marching Band Photos Tammy Dodderidge Editor, Education Connection KCK Board of Education Rev. Rick Behrens Irene Caudillo Dr. Evelyn Hill Brenda C. Jones Richard Kaminski HUNDREDS WINTER 2016 TELL US HOW WE ARE DOING! OF STUDENTS Gloria Willis BENEFIT FROM The Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools DIPLOMA+ Dr. Valdenia Winn SCHOLARSHIP (KCKPS) is currently administering a INITIATIVE CYNTHIA LANE NAMED SUPERINTENDENT OF survey to parents and community members to THE YEAR SCHOOL LIBRARIES assess their perceptions of KCKPS, and to understand REMAIN RELEVANT AND RESOURCEFUL IN TODAY’S how the district is doing in terms of implementing its TECH-SAVVY WORLD mission, vision, and goals. Please take a few minutes to add your voice, 2010 N. 59th St., Kansas City, KS 66104 KS City, Kansas St., 59th N. 2010 Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Public Kansas City, Kansas by completing the survey on-line: http://kckps.org/survey. EDUCATION CONNECTION — WINTER 2016 1 4 EDUCATION CONNECTION — WINTER 2016 BOARD OF EDUCATION’S LEGISLATIVE GOALS FOCUS HEAVILY ON SCHOOL FUNDING ISSUES The 2016 session of the the legislature to follow the Kansas Legislature promises to Kansas constitution and fund KANSAS CITY, KANSAS have a profound impact on the public schools adequately, work of the Kansas City, Kan- and in a manner that provides PUBLIC SCHOOLS sas Public Schools (KCKPS), suffi cient money for schools and ultimately on the more that serve large numbers of LEGISLATIVE GOALS 2016 than 22,500 students served English-language learners and I. Fulfi ll the constitutional requirement for the State of by the district. Legislators in students living in poverty. Kansas to provide “ . suitable provision for fi nance Topeka will be challenged to These issues will be especially of the educational interests of the state.” This in- deal with a signifi cant shortfall important in the 2016 legisla- cludes rejecting any attempt to place more of the bur- in state revenue, caused by tive session, because last year, den for funding education on local taxpayers, which the tax cuts pushed through the legislature eliminated the would widen the education gap between wealthy by Governor Sam Brownback funding formula, and re- communities and the rest of Kansas. in 2012. In addition, an an- placed it with so-called “Block ticipated ruling by the Kansas Grants,” which froze school II. Ensure that school funding in Kansas continues to Supreme Court in the Gannon funding for two years, and be directly related to what it actually costs to educate v. State of Kansas school fund- does not account for changes specifi c students, so that districts can continue to ing lawsuit has the potential or growth in student popu- receive the funds they need to serve the students they to force the legislature to fi nd lation. The legislature will serve. This includes advocating that at-risk funding additional school funding, in begin work on a new funding continues to be based on family income. order to comply with the state formula, and the choices they III. Ensure that any increase in the Local Option budget constitution. make, both in terms of how is equalized at 100% without proration. Every year, in preparation they fund schools and in how for the upcoming legislative much funding they provide, IV. Ensure that any response to the current fi scal crisis session, the Board of Educa- will have a huge impact on does not negatively affect the solvency of the KPERS tion develops a list of legisla- KCKPS. system. tive priorities, and adopts its Other legislative goals seek V. Resist all attempts to take established revenues annual legislative goals. Again to allow the Board (along with away from local governments in order to balance the this year, the Board’s legisla- other districts throughout the state budget. Specifi cally, changes in state tax policy tive goals focus heavily on state) to continue to implement should not occur at the expense of local governments school funding issues. KCKPS higher standards that will al- by shifting responsibilities and fi scal obligations relies heavily on funding from low each student to exit high from the state to cities and counties, K-12 education the state of Kansas, in order to school prepared for college or higher education. provide district students with and careers in a global society. the same educational oppor- The goals also ask the legis- VI. KCKPS is committed to the goal of graduating each tunities as students in more lature to provide additional student prepared for college and careers in a global advantaged communities. funding for kindergarten and society, and it is critically important that the legisla- In recent years, despite nu- early childhood education, and ture not doing anything to hinder the district’s focus.