Community invited to preview draft of school turnaround plan tonight

Kansas City school district logo With critical issues in the balance, the Kansas City school district is inviting the community to a special meeting tonight.

The Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) and other community partners will preview a draft of “The Kansas City Public Schools Plan – Continuing the Path to Excellence,” a proposal to continue the improvement of local schools, according to a release from the district.

The preview will be at 6 p.m. tonight, January 13, at Manual Career and Technical Center, 1215 E. Truman Road. The public is invited to review the draft solution and offer input.

The district is in a fight with the state of Missouri on several fronts. First, the unaccredited district faces student transfers to neighboring districts, which would require it to pay for student transportation and tuition. Secondly, it has sued the state over its unaccredited status, claiming improved test scores should allow it to regain provisional status and avoid transfers.

“The Kansas City Public Schools Plan – Continuing the Path to Excellence” clearly documents the next steps KCPS and the community will take to build on the unprecedented increase in student achievement experienced by our students. It was drafted with input from the Kansas City Federation of Teachers and the Coalition for Quality Education, including the District Advisory Committee, NAACP, Community Creating Opportunities, MORE2, Friends of Hale Cook, and others, the district said.

The Cities for Educational Entrepreneurship (CEE-Trust), a group selected by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, will present to the state Board of Education and Commissioner Chris Nicastro today its draft recommendations on how to turnaround unaccredited school districts in Missouri, including KCPS.

“The Kansas City Public Schools Plan – Continuing the Path to Excellence” will be presented to the board and commissioner on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

“Our community has come together to present a solution in ‘The Kansas City Plan’ that really takes into account its needs and desires for its students and schools. Our scholars have made great progress in the last 24 months, and this plan shows we have a clear path to a brighter future,” said Superintendent R. Stephen Green. “We’ll take this plan to the state board of education on Tuesday with the belief that with thoughtful deliberation, it will allow us to continue the progress we’ve achieved in the last two years.”

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