Why put your child in a KCMO public school?
 By Airick Leonard West The Kansas City Post I have a 14yr old in the Kansas City, Missouri public school district. A friend that knows me well understands my passion for public education. Despite this understanding, she still recently asked the all too familiar question, 'why is he in a district school?' Here are some facts: - I could afford to send him to a private school - I could get him into a charter school - I could homeschool him (ok... maybe that's pushing it) - The KCMO school district has challenges - As a whole, the KCMSD is not doing well - As a community, we deserve to be angry about this injustice - The KCMSD has several very good schools - It is very possible to get a solid education from the KCMSD - I am willing to do whatever is required to ensure that he gets a great education no matter which school -- public or otherwise -- that he attends Given this lineup of realities, I choose to stand in solidarity with the multitude of families that have chosen the Kansas City, Missouri public school district for their children as well. Whether through the African-centered academy, Lincoln Academy or the collection of strong academic institutions within the district, great educations still occur every day here. While some progress has been made, obviously, we have a long way to go. Better is still never good enough. It will require great effort to transform our district into an oasis of opportunity. But the same effort will be required to turn our neighborhoods into communities of choice. If we are strong enough to commit to one, then we would be wise to commit to both -- indeed, I do not believe either will come apart from the other. To succinctly convey my perspective on this topic, I share these three messages in closing: - To those who have chosen to give up on public education Though I have heard your pain and understand many of your concerns, I will not stand with you. Public education is the last hope for too many of our neighbors. I cannot see a way to divorce myself from them without allowing all else that I believe in to become estranged as well. - To those who are thinking of giving up on public education Hold hope. There is no end to what is possible when a community of people stand together. We must join the legion of sisters and brothers that are creating new possibilities for our schools. Collectively, we will find our way through this darkness. And the light we bring will shine brightly on all Kansas Citians. - To those who choose to stand for a viable school district I proudly stand with you. |
posted by Mark at 7:43 AM
Comments on "Why put your child in a KCMO public school?"
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missspider said ... (2:32 PM) :
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Airick Leonard said ... (3:40 PM) :
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Airick Leonard said ... (3:41 PM) :
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Eric said ... (4:53 PM) :
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missspider said ... (9:40 PM) :
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Xavier Onassis said ... (12:53 AM) :
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Airick Leonard said ... (10:24 AM) :
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Anonymous said ... (3:23 PM) :
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Anonymous said ... (7:25 AM) :
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Airick Leonard said ... (10:04 AM) :
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Anonymous said ... (12:40 PM) :
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Xavier Onassis said ... (5:59 PM) :
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Airick Leonard said ... (11:26 AM) :
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Airick Leonard said ... (2:23 PM) :
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Brent said ... (12:28 PM) :
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mike said ... (12:58 PM) :
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Airick Leonard W said ... (6:40 AM) :
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Anonymous said ... (2:56 AM) :
post a commentThis isn't like going out and supporting the Chiefs even though you know they are going to have a losing season!
The only thing that makes a substantial difference in a person's earning power is a good education; therefore I am not willing to let the KCMO school district use my child as a token to secure their job security. I understand that improvement will take time, but I have only one shot at educating my child. I’m not willing to blow my shot at the craps table.
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i hear a lot of disappointment in your comment; i share your disappointment. if i reach the point where i believe that the district's staff is more motivated by job security than by the aspirations of a community to educate its children, i may join you in stepping away from the table.
for now, neither my disappointment nor the employee's motivation alter the reality that my 14yr old is getting a better education this year in the district than he did last year in the district.
Spider said:
"The only thing that makes a substantial difference in a person's earning power is a good education;"
And the most crucial part of getting a good education is having a stable home life and involved parents. In many ways the problems with the school districts are just consequences of the fact that it serves the poorest students with the worst family situations.
Students with stable home environments and parents who are involved in their education are very successful in the KCMSD.
Eric -
I agree with you.
Anyone interested in making improvements to the district should visit the jackson county family justice center and observe some of the real challenges facing TOO MANY of the district's students.
The schools are only symptoms of more insidious ailments.
I would NEVER use my child as an experiment in social justice or community betterment.
That's why my only child, my daughter, is safely ensconced in the Richmond, MO Public School District.
It is accredited. It's safe. Every teacher and every administrator knows every student and responsible parents are actively involved.
There is no way in hell that I would subject my child to the circus of horrors that is the Kansas City School District.
The Board of Education conducts itself like a bunch of uneducated, self-serving, egotistical, bigoted thugs.
I don't want to be a part of the problem OR the solution. I want to be as far apart from it as I can possibly get.
xavier,
i couldn't agree with you more: i hope that no one would ever willfully put their child in harms way. i choose the kcmo district for the same reason you choose the richmond district: because it works for my kid and it works for me.
you have invested a lot of emotion into detailing a district you state wanting nothing to do with. how do you benefit from this?
The biggest misconception out there is that the KCMSD wants to improve. I don't believe it does.
Based on ALW's response to XO, it should be obvious to people that criticism is not welcome. And don't come back at me with "constructive criticism" crap. The critic is there to provide criticism. It is the other party's responsibility to make something positive out of criticism.
I will spend no more time discussing it. I only wish I could find a way to not have to pay into that bloated bureaucracy
Do you consider sending a kid to a charter school as abandoning public schools? A lot of people forget that a charter school IS A PUBLIC school. It is just not run by the district. Most of the charter schools in KC are non-profit.
To XO, there are a number of schools in the KCMO district that have better safety records and have better test scores than Sunrise Elemtary in Richmond. Sunrise Elementary actually scores below the state average in a number of subjects.
You can check the numbers for yourself at
http://www.windmeadow.com/school
or
http://www.dese.mo.gov/schooldata/
anon 3:23,
your comments about criticism not being welcome may be fair. as i reread my post to xo, i realize my question at the end could easily be interpreted as an effort to shut down discussion. for that, i thank you for calling me on it; i'll clarify below.
anon 7:25,
as a former charter school board member and a founding participant in the missouri charter school association, i am well familiar with the great things happening in some charter schools. thank you for adding this aspect to the conversation. my reason for becoming such a champion for the district rather than for all public education is two-fold. first, my compassion lies with all of our youth, not merely the ones with support structures sufficient to carry them into the opportunities possible at charter schools. so while i am supportive of the idea of charter schools, i am drawn to addressing the needs of the larger population of students for whom the district is the final safety net. second, my vision for charter schools is that they conduct themselves as unique public schools that cooperate with the district, not as publicly funded private schools that are increasingly antagonistic to the district. in my aforementioned capacities, i was there for the opening conversations about the ongoing law suits the charter schools have brought against the district and i maintain that their claims are valid. but you can have financial disputes with the district while still pursuing a larger goal of exceptional education for all students. what i experienced was a group that is rightfully frustrated with the lackluster performance of the district overall and that has chosen to take steps that would unnecessarily undermine the district. i've said a lot so if this is unclear in any way, feel free to email or call me and we can discuss further.
xo,
my hope is that this message is received in the spirit with which the first was intended: moving the conversation forward. my closing question to you in my last comment was meant to engage you in a dialogue that questions why we need to tear each other down at all. i want something better for the young man in my care than i got. and i'm willing to work as hard as i must to secure that for him. in this regard, i think we have more in common that is apparent. while it is always appropriate to hold people accountable for their failures, i simply question what questioning their character -- whether accurate or not -- does to move us closer to a solution. and so my question again, albeit reworded: recognizing that everything is this region is connected to everything else and that what impacts one will eventually impact all, how can we support each other in ensuring that damon and your daughter both get everything they need?
my vision for charter schools is that they conduct themselves as unique public schools that cooperate with the district,
I agree with that. I like my kid's charter school, but they are not the silver bullet or complete solution. Some of the best and worst schools in KC are charter schools.
my compassion lies with all of our youth, not merely the ones with support structures sufficient to carry them into the opportunities possible at charter schools
I am not sure what you mean by that. The charter schools are open to all students in the district. Many provide busing. What extra support structure is needed to allow a child to go to a charter school?
has chosen to take steps that would unnecessarily undermine the district
I don't think the charter schools have undermined the public schools. They provide competition and a "lab" to try new ideas. If public charter schools are well liked, that probably helps the reputation of district schools. What I mean by this is say a family wants to move to KC. They fund a good public charter school. That is one more family that moves to KC and not JoCo. If you have more families stay for the charter schools, there will probably be some spillover to kids going to district schools. Say the charter school goes to 8th grade, then the family send their kids to Lincoln Prep. The district likes to complain that X children go to charter schools and the district looses money. What the district doesn't mention is that those same kids had instead moved to JoCo, then the district would be even worse off. If the charter schools shut down and you had a mass exodus of families out of KC, that would further drive down home values and the District would loose revenue.
ALW - I may have been a bit over the top (I usually am). But my underlying point is the same. I clearly remember the news coverage of board members bickering with each other over political turf, storming out of meetings in a snit for some real or imagined slight. It was embarassing.
And what are they doing now? Holding entire schools who want to flee the district hostage. Not because they think it will best for the children. But because they are afraid of losing power and money.
I'm not sure who shares more of the blame for the condition of the Kansas City schools...the board or the parents. Either way, I want no part of it.
anon 12:40,
"support structures sufficient"
in my experience working with these schools, students that participate in charter schools generally enjoy more support from either parents/guardians or a specific agency (like their daycare). just an observation, not a description of who is allowed or not.
"has chosen to take steps that would unnecessarily undermine the district"
i think we are on the same page on this. i was referring to how the charters handled the law suit and how their handling could potentially impact the school district. i generally agree with you that charters keep students in the district that might have otherwise left.
xo,
i don't think your comments are that far from what i've observed. what needs to happen?
more support from either parents/guardians
That really says more about parents than the schools. I don't think you can knock the charter schools for that.
I was referring to how the charters handled the law suit and how their handling could potentially impact the school district
What have the charters done that was wrong with the lawsuit? I don't really know much about the lawsuit, so I can't comment one way or the other. I do know that the district went to state court and tried to argue that charter school funding was unconstitutional under the MO constitution.
anon 12:52,
"I don't think you can knock the charter schools for that."
i think if you reread my original post, you'll find that my comment was describing my personal interests -- not in any way an indictment of charter schools.
"What have the charters done that was wrong with the lawsuit?"
i didn't say they've done anything wrong. this is an issue you'll want to investigate for yourself; i don't recommend anyone take my interpretation of the events as fact. they are exactly as i presented them: my experiences of this situation. if you want full details of my interpretations, feel free to call or email me.
Airick,
I admire your stance on this. In fact, more parents like you are exactly what will turn the KCMO school district around. The reality is, the schools are a product of what the parent put into their kids. As more parent who invest the time into their kids send their kids to school there, test scores will go up. As test scores go up, more people who care about their child's education will send their kids to school there, and the scores will continue to build.
The sad reality is that the majority of people who can get their kids out of the school system do (or did) - -and left only the kids who's parents either a) didn't care, or b) didn't have the resources to get out. Over time, it's built quite the horrible reputation.
If more parents who care, like you, start trying to make a difference, they will, indeed do so.
I can't fault people who don't want to take a stand. I'm not sure I'd be willing to do it if I were in that position (I'm kidless). But I certainly admire those who want to make a difference...and that's you in this case.
I wonder how people measure the quality of the district. Some point to the laughable performance of the board. But as a public-school parent for years I can tell you that what goes on in the school is little reflection of what goes on at board level.
What's more, didn't Lincoln's test scores prove they are the best in the state? Certainly much better than any suburban district in this metro area.
Indeed, improvement is needed and necessary. But is it as bad as many believe? My college-but-school-district-graduate daughter says it's not.
BTW, I'm not african-american and my daughter attended a touted private high school before we moved to Lincoln and found what we needed. I found the parents at Lincoln and the elementary schools that my kids attended cared more than the private school parents I knew.
Bottom line: The "stand" of choosing public over private and supposed "sacrificing" of your child is not that at all. It can be what you want to make it.
amen.
I have been a teacher in the district for 9 years. I have been teaching for 23 years and have a masters degree in literacy education. I sincerely believe that the problems the KCMO school disrict have, stem from.... a district that is too large to effectively manage, too many people involved in decision making, and a high turnover of leadership. However, by far, the largest problem we face is............LACK OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT!
I'm a 14 year old African American boy and my parents have always been involved in my schooling we aren't the wealthiest and i have never been put into a private school. To my point, my family recently moved to the KCMSD, from the blue springs, mo school district,and there i was some -what at an average level academically among my peers and like i said my parents are well involved in my schooling but upon going to a public school(Martin Luther King Jr. Middle)i found myself to be (not to brag) like the smartest kid there and what shocked me the most was that the teachers seemed to be shocked that i was a young man and i was an African American teen that never went to school with his pants below his waist and had a general respect for authority, and actually wanted to learn. I attended King Middle for half a semester and when i went there i got to be around these what many people call under privileged , kids with dangerous living conditions and i found that while a lot are under privileged they dont feel sorry for them-selves they weren't stupid people they just came to school in a defeated mind set sorta way...but there were individuals that cared about there futures and had positive attitudes but as a result of not being educated properly just couldn't get the curriculum. And honestly to me a big part of educating children of these kinds has to deal with the teachers i say so because at king i had a teacher i will never forget because she was small in stature, (about 5 foot 4 inches)and kids didnt always like her but they all respected her because she was in a way that elder in there lives that always wanted the best for them and would make sure she educated them to the best of their abilities by the end of the day... she made sure every single student of hers learned one thing that day even if it was that they were important to America's future. So, i think,in rebuilding this districts education that we should start by insuring that the teacher's are teaching because they care not because they get a pay check...if that is in any way possible and the teacher's (if they are willing enough) can help kids understand how important their education is. But after going to king for that semester, and not being challenged academically as a result of the poor learning environment found myself behind and struggling when i transfered to Lincoln. I found that the teachers at lincoln middle made emotional bonds with their students and a when a couple of them started to see me struggle told me that they knew i wasnt a dumb kid and that my grades would improve if i put forth the extra effort and they did! After that i thought man, if every teacher in the KCMSD told their students this and made bonds with them and let the kids know that they are needed and appreciated every day things just might improve! And i believe there was a comment made about wavering their child's future, there might be some truth to that because as i said even though my parents were involved and i wanted to learn I wasnt challenged at King so even though education does have a lot to do with the environment at home it also has a lot to do with the environment of learning your child is in.
That's just a perspective of this matter from a kids point of view thanks for your time