Kansas

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Kansas
Kansas City Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill celebrates with fans during a victory celebration and parade in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 15, 2023, following the Chiefs' win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game.
Kansas City Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill celebrates with young fans during a victory celebration and parade in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 15, 2023. The Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LVII, and several districts in the region canceled school the day of the parade.
Colin E. Braley/AP
School & District Management Super Bowl Districts Face Super-Sized Call: Should They Cancel Class for a Victory Parade?
Concerned about absenteeism, district leaders face tough decisions about days off for community events.
Evie Blad, February 8, 2024
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5 min read
Linda Brown Smith stands in front of the Sumner School in Topeka, Kan., on May 8, 1964. The refusal of the public school to admit Brown in 1951, then nine years old, because she is black, led to the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled the "separate but equal" clause and mandated that schools nationwide must be desegregated.
Linda Brown Smith stands in front of the Sumner School in Topeka, Kan., in 1964, a segregated white school where she had been denied enrollment in 1951, leading to the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down the "separate but equal" doctrine in the case that bears her family name, <i>Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.</i> The high court on Jan. 8 turned away an effort by descendants of the litigants in a companion desegregation case from South Carolina to rename the historic decision for their case, <i>Briggs</i> v. <i>Elliott</i>.
AP
Law & Courts U.S. Supreme Court Declines Bid to Rename 'Brown v. Board of Education'
Descendants argued that their case, not the one from Topeka, Kan., should have topped the 1954 decision on racial segregation in schools.
Mark Walsh, January 8, 2024
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3 min read
Young student working on math worksheet with basic mathematic concepts.
iStock/Getty
Mathematics Why Does Fact Fluency Matter in Math? 4 Educators Offer Answers
Teachers and district leaders talk about why math fact fluency is required and how they provide support for students who struggle.
Sarah Schwartz, December 7, 2023
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5 min read
Image of money symbol, books, gavel, and scale of justice.
DigitalVision Vectors
Education Funding A Judge Just Ruled That Another State's School Funding System Is Unconstitutional
New Hampshire joins Pennsylvania on the list of states whose courts have ruled that it's underfunding poor school districts.
Mark Lieberman, November 27, 2023
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5 min read
Woman using a computer chatting with an intelligent artificial intelligence.
iStock/Getty
Classroom Technology ChatGPT Is Everywhere in This District. Here's What It Looks Like
From newsletters to lesson plans, Wichita Public Schools is all in with artificial intelligence.
Caitlyn Meisner, August 29, 2023
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7 min read
Fourth-grade students Briley Williams, 9, left, and Jacqueline Naula, 9, work together in their English Language Arts class at Israel Putnam Elementary School in Meriden, Conn., on Dec. 9, 2022. School accountability measures show Meriden schools making academic gains including attendance and addressing social-emotional learning needs.
Fourth-grade students Briley Williams, 9, left, and Jacqueline Naula, 9, work together in their English/language arts class at Israel Putnam Elementary School in Meriden, Conn., on Dec. 9, 2022. Meriden schools have made progress on attendance and addressing social-emotional learning needs.
Dave Zajac/Record-Journal via AP
Student Well-Being Social-Emotional Learning Persists Despite Political Backlash
Social-emotional learning has generated a political backlash, but states are keeping SEL in their standards.
Libby Stanford & Caitlyn Meisner, July 27, 2023
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7 min read
A three photo collage on dark blue paper of principal Stacy Schreiner and others from school.
Photos: Courtesy of Stacy Schreiner; Design: Gina Tomko/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management In Their Own Words 'The Kids Never Once Doubted I Loved Them': A Principal's Deep Connections With Students
This Kansas middle school principal will remember the decades-long relationships she's built with students.
Denisa R. Superville, June 23, 2023
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4 min read
Image of a computer at a desk with "Job Search" in the search window.
Syuzanna Guseynova/iStock/Getty + EdWeek
Teaching Profession Summer Jobs Have Become an (Unwelcome) Tradition for Many Teachers
Many teachers rely on summer as a time to earn much-needed extra income.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 31, 2023
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4 min read
Nataliia Mostova points to molding pumpkins with Adrian Karmalita in Debra McCann's 2nd grade classroom at Jardine Elementary School on Jan. 20, 2023. Mostova, a Ukrainian refugee, is working as a paraeducator helping other Ukrainian students learn.
Nataliia Mostova points to molding pumpkins with Adrian Karmalita in a 2nd grade classroom at Jardine Elementary School in Topeka, Kan., last month. Mostova, a Ukrainian refugee, is working as a paraeducator in the district.
Evert Nelson for Education Week
School & District Management The School District That's Enrolling Ukrainian Refugees—and Hiring Their Parents
The Topeka, Kan., district has hired Ukrainian refugees in multiple roles, helping provide stability to families uprooted by war.
Denisa R. Superville, February 22, 2023
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11 min read
Illustration of laptop with a hand holding a resume coming out of screen.
iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention The Pandemic Changed Teacher Recruiting. Here's What It Looks Like Now
Recruiters' jobs are more complex, requiring them to use in-person, remote, and hybrid job fairs.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 10, 2023
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4 min read
A high school football player in a blue helmet with an orange arrow on it tackles a player in a white and green uniform.
A player from the Westlake High School Warriors in Thousand Oaks, Calif., plays football in a helmet with an arrowhead logo. California has banned only certain Native American-themed mascots, but other states have passed broader restrictions.
Alex Gallardo/AP
Equity & Diversity More States Push Schools to Drop Native American Mascots
At states' urging, schools will drop Native American mascots, citing the harm of racist stereotypes. The changes bring logistical and political challenges.
Evie Blad, November 28, 2022
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6 min read
Kara Klever holds a sign in protest in the hall outside of the Blue Room as Governor Kevin Stitt signs a bill into law that prevents transgender girls and women from competing on female sports teams at the Capitol Wednesday, March 30, 2022 in Oklahoma City, Oka. The bill, which easily passed the Republican-led House and Senate mostly along party lines, took effect immediately with the governor's signature. It applies to female sports teams in both high school and college.
Kara Klever holds a sign in protest as Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signs a bill into law that prevents transgender girls and women from competing on female sports teams.
Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman via AP
States Beyond 'Don't Say Gay': Other States Seek to Limit LGBTQ Youth, Teaching
Legislators want to ban lessons on LGBTQ communities and require teachers to tell parents when students want their pronouns changed.
Stephen Sawchuk, April 6, 2022
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9 min read
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piranka/E+
School & District Management 'No Great Option': Why a School District Named After a KKK Leader Is Keeping Its Name
"Somebody's going to get mad at anything we do," board member James Adams said.
Tim Hrenchir, The Topeka Capital-Journal, November 9, 2021
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6 min read
Collage of figures and money texture.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week and iStock/Getty
Education Funding State K-12 Spending Is Inequitable and Inadequate. See Where Yours Ranks
There's a $17,000 per student difference between the highest- and lowest-spending states. High-poverty schools suffer especially.
Mark Lieberman, October 28, 2021
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4 min read
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