youtube-video-thumbnail

There Is A Way To Boost Achievement of Low-Income Students

March 14, 2019  |  Michael Price, Mike Sherry  |  1 min read

The economic divide is a big driver of educational inequality around the country and here in the Kansas City area. But does that have to be a given?

The hope is that the school of the future can narrow the opportunity gap between wealthy and low-income school districts. To a large extent, this means adding supports to help disadvantaged students. Education advocates say those interventions should include everything from ensuring students are well fed to providing mentors and assistance through outside nonprofits.

Perhaps then, as one local school leader said, our urban schools can produce a next generation of adults who can sever the link between poverty and inequity. A future where some kids don’t get left behind is hard to fathom for Gwen Grant, CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City. But, as she noted in the video above, perhaps Kansas City will be different.

Take Note is Kansas City PBS’s multi-year education reporting project. In this season, we are examining all aspects of the school of the future. Keep an eye on the website and join the conversation at #TakeNoteKC.

Reading these stories is free, but telling them is not. Start your monthly gift now to support Flatland’s community-focused reporting.

Nick’s Picks | Messi, Jail, Buses, and More …

June 1, 2026

World Cup Team(s) Arrive It’s starting to feel real. The first World Cup team has landed in Kansas City. Defending champions Argentina touched down at KCI airport on Sunday and will begin practicing today at Sporting KC’s training facility in Wyandotte County. Much of the attention, of course, is focused on Lionel Messi. The soccer…

Related Stories

police in active shooter drill in a school

School Shootings Pit Safety Vs. Pedagogy

In the aftermath of World War II, amidst Cold War tensions with the Soviets, U.S. students practiced “duck and cover” drills to prepare for nuclear attack. Fast forward more than half a century, and one of the most common safety precautions in schools today has nothing to do with a far-off threat; “active shooter” drills…

Read More >

Kansas City Public Schools Takes Big Step Toward Full Accreditation

The Kansas City Public Schools district is one of just a handful throughout Missouri that is not fully accredited by the state, but that could change based upon annual performance results released today by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Kansas City district scored an 82.9 percent on the report card, which…

Read More >

Fueling the Body and Mind in the School of the Future

A healthy diet. Regular exercise. Unplugging from technology. Sound familiar? Those are all things that adults know they should do. The same goes for kids, but just like grownups, they can fall short — sometimes through no fault of their own. But schools are helping pick up the slack — providing nutritious meals, getting kids…

Read More >