The KCMO School District

[KCMax]

Why has Lincoln Prep flourished while the rest of the district flops? Are there any other success stories? Can those successes be replicated district-wide?

[bobbyhawks]

Why has Lincoln Prep flourished while the rest of the district flops? Are there any other success stories? Can those successes be replicated district-wide?

While hand-picking the good students for an advanced school and curriculum is great for those students and for that school, it may have the opposite effect on the other schools. While Lincoln can raise its standards, other schools can lower theirs. I think part of what makes good schools successful is the competitive atmosphere of the student body, trying to get better grades, better scores, and more extra curriculars than your peers. When you take away the top students, you sometimes lower the standard of excellence for all other students.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Lincoln's students are motivated. Many, if not all, expect to go to college. They are not going to school just to have something to do that day. And from what I can remember the teachers are selected to teach there. In other words both teachers and students are the cream of the crop.

[FangKC]

The other thing is that since students have to apply to get into Lincoln, the parents are generally more activist and motivated to make sure their children are successful--making them study, and taking an interest in their education. That sort of parental involvement makes a huge difference in the success of a child in school.

The KCMSD has a lot of troubled and at-risk students, through no fault of their own, and a lot of it comes down to the fact that the parents are troubled or not involved. Many students have more daily challenges: parents with mental illness and substance abuse problems, violence in the household, or simply absentee parents.

Since poverty is so present in the KCMSD, the neighborhoods are home to a lot of troubled parents who, in general, have difficulty coping with, and fitting into society--for a variety of reasons. They have poor educations, trouble keeping jobs, managing money, etc. They concentrate in these neighborhoods because housing is so cheap, and landlords care little about their background or habits.

Sometimes they take little interest in participating in society at the most basic level--like calling the police to report crime, or showing up for their child's teacher-parent conference. Some of these parents can't even make sure their kids have enough to eat.

Certainly not all parents in the KCMSD, or low-income neighborhoods, are like this, but if 20 or 30 percent are, then it creates an overall problem for everyone. The children of irresponsible or absent parents create havoc in classrooms. They take the majority of the teachers' time dealing with behavioral problems and distractions. The KCMSD has so many social problems it must deal with in addition to education that suburban districts don't have. It's harder to keep good teachers because the stress-level is so high that many leave after a few years.

It's the same with older neighborhoods in general--especially ones built before their were strong neighborhood associations and property covenants in subdivisions about meeting basic upkeep, or being forced the leave the subdivision. In older parts of town, it's much more difficult to deal with problem neighbors, or people who allow their property to become blighted. A few bad apples can bring down a whole street or neighborhood.

[KCMax]

Alta Vista Charter School thrives amid looming crisis

Of its 40 seniors, 15 are receiving college credits, leaving Alta Vista three times a week to take psychology, sociology or world geography at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley. Eleven Alta Vista juniors are also there, enrolled in psychology.

Last year, nearly 25 percent of the school’s seniors graduated with six to 30 college credits. Of Alta Vista’s 41 graduates, 14 went on to community colleges and nine went to four-year schools, including Rockhurst University, the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Kansas State University.

Alta Vista’s graduation rate is better than 80 percent. The retention rate, a measure of the students who return to the school from one year to the next, is 96 percent.

On the most recent state tests, Alta Vista scored high enough in math to outpace every other public high school inside the boundaries of the Kansas City School District, including Lincoln College Preparatory Academy and Académie Lafayette, as well as many in the surrounding Missouri suburbs.

Some 79.6 percent of its students ranked proficient or advanced in math.

In communication arts, only 56.7 percent scored proficient or advanced. That number is not unexpected, Mendez said, and better than it may appear, considering that for 76 percent of students at Alta Vista, English is their second language.

Which is why school officials believe it is their math score — surpassing the numbers for Liberty, Truman, Raytown South, North Kansas City, Excelsior Springs and other high schools — that is most indicative of the school’s direction.

So here is a school that does not get to select its students, competing with suburban schools. How do they do it? Can this be replicated? Is this evidence we need to try more charter schools? While many charter schools are not good, some are, which is certainly an improvement over what KCMO students currently face.

[KCMax]

KC School District’s problems weigh on the housing market

Home sellers Pete and Rennie Davis face some tough challenges in getting the price they want — a down economy, tighter mortgage rules, even dozens of other homes for sale.

And now there’s this: Their well-kept Brookside structure sits smack in the middle of the Kansas City School District, which will soon lose its state accreditation.

Not the kind of thing they’ll be including on their “home for sale” flier.

This is a big reason why I favor school choice. Not that I'm gonna cry for sellers in Brookside, but a lot of other neighborhoods in KC would really take off if the anchor of the KCMOSD wasn't hanging around the necks of these homes.

[shinatoo]

KC School District’s problems weigh on the housing market

Home sellers Pete and Rennie Davis face some tough challenges in getting the price they want — a down economy, tighter mortgage rules, even dozens of other homes for sale.

And now there’s this: Their well-kept Brookside structure sits smack in the middle of the Kansas City School District, which will soon lose its state accreditation.

Not the kind of thing they’ll be including on their “home for sale” flier.

This is a big reason why I favor school choice. Not that I'm gonna cry for sellers in Brookside, but a lot of other neighborhoods in KC would really take off if the anchor of the KCMOSD wasn't hanging around the necks of these homes.

Now that they lost accreditation they have school choice.

[FangKC]

KC School District’s problems weigh on the housing market

Home sellers Pete and Rennie Davis face some tough challenges in getting the price they want — a down economy, tighter mortgage rules, even dozens of other homes for sale.

And now there’s this: Their well-kept Brookside structure sits smack in the middle of the Kansas City School District, which will soon lose its state accreditation.

Not the kind of thing they’ll be including on their “home for sale” flier.

This is a big reason why I favor school choice. Not that I'm gonna cry for sellers in Brookside, but a lot of other neighborhoods in KC would really take off if the anchor of the KCMOSD wasn't hanging around the necks of these homes.

I agree. I think this certainly holds the Historic Northeast back. There are so many houses in this part of town that are prime candidates for renovation and resale--that are close to downtown. The overall housing stock here is good, and many residents are long-time resident seniors and the houses will eventually be on the market.

I was taking a walk this morning, and thinking about how many houses here are structurally-sound, and have aged better than a lot of houses built in the 1960s and '70s built in places like Ruskin Heights and south Kansas City. There are many bungalow-style houses that are ideal for single owners that are mixed in with larger family homes that would be in demand if the school district were better.

[chrizow]

yeah, the BKS house cited in that article hasn't sold b/c it's overpriced and painted bright orange, and it's FSBO, which typically do not sell quickly.

also, the KCMSD woes have been "built in" to home prices in KCMO for probably 30 years. it's not like this new deaccreditation issue is causing any "new" dip. this is just another stupid dave helling piece bashing KCMO - did you see how he had to get the E-tax dig in there? there isn't a person in the world who moves to KS due to the 1% e-tax. anyone that concerned with their tax burden wouldn't move from MO to KS since taxes are generally higher over there for everything.

[kucer]

yeah, the BKS house cited in that article hasn't sold b/c it's overpriced and painted bright orange, and it's FSBO, which typically do not sell quickly.

My wife is always talking about that house. I drove by to check it out a few weeks ago... it doesn't even have storm windows.

[ThaMexican]

My friend's wife works at Alta Vista and she said the teachers work really hard to turn around those kids, she said the 1st year it is troublesome since a lot of the kids come from the KCMOSD, after a year or year and a half most kids are now excited about learning or at least willing. She was so excited to have their middle school started last year because she said it will take even less time to turn around the kids at a younger age and they will take advantage of their education at a younger age.

But I agree with other people that posted here that a big part of the problem are kids that do not have the support at home to focus on education. Absent parents, parents with issues, lack of food, supervision, etc. If parents or someone else is not involved with the kids then they really easy get in trouble and bring the issues to school.

I live in the Westside and I see some of it here but I also see a lot of families of low income trying to raised them the best they can.

[KCMax]

Kauffman CEO Schramm: ‘Charterization’ would lift KC schools

Speaking at a luncheon at The Central Exchange , Schramm said he hopes the Ewing Marion Kauffman School will provide a model to ultimately lead to the complete “charterization” of Kansas City schools.

About 12,000 students already attend charter schools in Kansas City. Schramm said that’s the third-highest penetration of any U.S. city, behind only New Orleans and Washington.

The Kauffman School’s nationally recruited faculty and staff has lived and worked in its temporary building in Westport since April, getting ready for its first class of fifth-graders.

The Kauffman Foundation has committed $10 million over 10 years to start the tuition-free school, which will move to 63rd Street and The Paseo in 2013. It ultimately will serve 1,000 students.

[KCMax]

This realtor kinda makes the point Chrizow made:

Your Home’s Price and the Kansas City Missouri School District Accreditation Status

This recent article by Dave Helling with the Kansas City Star has spurred a discussion amongst local realtors and has me wondering if anything has really truly changed with regards to buyers and families living in Brookside. From a 2010 Kansas City Star article on the reopening of Hale Cook elementary, school board member Derek Richey states, “There are thousands and thousands of kids who live in that southwest corridor, and only 15 percent of them go to district schools.” If this is true, then haven’t many residents of Brookside already rejected the district prior to this official loss of accreditation? I believe this is true; however, many fear that we will see more people leaving the district and less demand for the area especially from those relocating to Kansas City.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Question:
Does the loss of accreditation affect the accreditation status of the Charter schools? Or does accreditation status affect college admissions?

[chingon]

No and yes.

[FangKC]

Partners pull out of Southwest’s early college program

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/28/32 ... wests.html

[FangKC]

Legislators float ideas to dissolve KCMO school district

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/p ... =e_du_wknd

[jillr]

Is there a way to read the whole article without subscribing to the biz journal?

[FangKC]

Missouri Education Chief Asks School Board to cede control by Jan. 1

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/31/32 ... sider.html

[FangKC]

Star editorial urges caution in approach to KCMO School District

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/01/32 ... fully.html