Season 1: The Way We Are
Take Note Season 1: The Way We Are takes an in-depth look at education in the Kansas City metropolitan area, where we are, how we got here and where we need to go.
Understanding Trauma-Informed Care
School districts around the region are embracing the idea that educators must understand underlying issues, such as a violent home life or a history of sexual abuse, that are driving bad behavior or poor academic performance among students. It’s a concept called trauma-informed care, and its proponents include the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care and…
Feeding the Mind
Education and nutrition go hand in hand. If a child is hungry or malnourished, it’s a good bet they can’t concentrate on their studies. That premise underpins the federal school-lunch and school-breakfast programs, which provide free- or reduced-price meals to millions of at-risk students each year. So, class breaks are a challenge for families that…
If These Walls Could Talk
Over the course of past month, Take Note has been listening to area youth as we explore the intersection of trauma and education. We went to Blue Valley to learn about their new mental health resources in “We Struggle, Too,” we ventured to Blue Springs where a young graduate shared his remarkable story through “In His…
Trauma-Informed Care Transforms Lee’s Summit School
Summit Ridge Academy administrators knew that old-school discipline wasn’t cutting it. Instead of suspension, many kids at the Lee’s Summit “alternative school” — which serves middle and high school students who need a different learning environment — simply needed adult support and better coping skills. Some of the students live with a parent suffering from…
Forging Their Own Path
Kenya Davis is a product of the Kansas City, Kansas, school district, as is her oldest daughter. But Davis’ enthusiasm for public schools waned when her youngest daughter, Sasha, entered Kansas City Public Schools. Sasha attended John T. Hartman Elementary for kindergarten, but Davis moved her to Troost Elementary the next year in search of…