Season 1: The Way We Are

Few industry leaders want to point out why their great ideas ultimately fell flat. Jobs, grants, money and pride could be at stake. But on Monday, national education leaders from across the ideological spectrum gathered at a Kansas City conference – “Eye on Education: Failures to Fixes” – to discuss flaws in charter schools, state…

On this episode of Common Grounds, the family and friends of Ryan Hill, an Olathe High School alumni who died by suicide shortly after graduation in 2013, discuss Ryan’s life, mental health and the implications of the new Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. For immediate help for you or someone else, call the National Suicide…

The drawings depict rainbows, hearts, flowers and crosses — thank-you’s to the Catholic Education Foundation in Kansas City, Kansas, from pupils attending parochial school on need-based scholarships. The money is coming from the Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program, a 3-year-old Kansas initiative where businesses provide funding through tax-deductible contributions. Since its inception,…

At Take Note we like to say, “This is Our City. Our Schools. Our Future.” but, as we’ve been noting, the word “our” is used differently by different people. If you haven’t heard Mark Bedell’s story, it’s well worth your time. The Kansas City Public Schools superintendent is the first to admit he leads with…

Here at Take Note, we’re asking: How do you create school choice through (blank)? For people in the Kansas City metropolitan area, school choice can be both a blessing and a curse. It provides an array of education options, but the system can also be confusing, or perhaps even detrimental to existing school districts. From…