Midtown parents issue RFP for educators, administrators

Midtown parent Kristin Littrell asked those at a meeting last summer to envision the kind of schools they would like to create for Midtown children.

The Midtown Community School Initiative has taken a novel – and perhaps unprecedented – step in its efforts to get a new community school started.

The group of parents and community school activists has released a request for proposals (RFP), seeking a partnership with educators and administrators who could lead and manage a school.

“We think there must be people out there dreaming of starting a school,” and the Midtown initiative wants to find them, according to Kristin Littrell, one of the organizers.

The Midtown Community School Initiative kicked off its efforts publically in August with a community meeting. Since then, Littrell says it has gathered the support of 300 Facebook followers. It has also conducted a survey that found of nearly 200 respondents, 98 percent would send their children to a high-quality, innovative Midtown community school. Almost 60 percent of parents said they would help to make the school happen.

Littrell says local educators urged the initiative to be proactive in seeking out partners, which is the impetus behind the RFP.

“We felt like this approach really utilized what Midtown has to offer, a very enthusiastic community,” she says.

Specifically, the RFP asks for educators to outline their vision and capacity to operate an elementary school beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.

Those responding to the RFP could be educators, administrators, state and national education management organizations, the Kansas City Public Schools, current school leadership teams, and/or non-profit leaders, according to the RFP.

Littrell says the initiative has already received responses from interested groups.

The Midtown Community School Initiative is in the process of incorporating as a nonprofit organization.

The RFP

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