Important education news for Kansas City urban core breaking FIRST here on TKC . . .
THE MISSOURI BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVES THE KANSAS CITY GIRLS PREP ACADEMY AND A NEW HOPE FOR EDUCATION IN THE URBAN CORE!!!
Reactionaries might hate on this one but it's really one of the best developments we've seen in years in order to better serve young lady students and their parents and offer them a better chances at success.
Here's the official word . . .
MISSOURI BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVES NEW KANSAS CITY CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
JEFFERSON CITY— Kansas City’s first all-girls charter school won unanimous approval today from the Missouri Board of Education, its final regulatory hurdle. “Today’s State Board decision gives families in Kansas City a new educational option for their daughters,” said Roger Dorson, interim commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. “Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy has an exciting opportunity to help Missouri ensure that all students graduate ready to succeed.”
KCGPA will open in an as yet-to-be-announced location in northeast Kansas City in August, 2019. To start, it will enroll 100 fifth grade girls, add one new grade per year, eventually growing to a 5th - 8th grade middle school, and a 9th - 12th grade high school. They expect that nearly three-quarters of their students will be African American or Hispanic. “We are appreciative of the confidence shown in our model and our leadership,” said Tom Krebs, the chief executive officer of the new school. “It is our goal to provide all of our young women access to a broad range of high-quality educational opportunities from early learning into post-high school engagement.”
Charter schools cannot open in Missouri without a state-authorized sponsor and approval from the Missouri Board of Education. KCGPA is being sponsored by the Missouri Charter Public School Commission, which was established in 2012 by the Missouri General Assembly. It is an independent commission appointed by the governor with the authority to sponsor high quality charter public schools, and hold them accountable. “The commission will play two roles in the new school. We will provide oversight to ensure parents that their girls are getting a quality education, and we will provide technical assistance to the governing board and leadership of the school to help them achieve that goal,” said Robbyn Wahby, executive director of the MCPSC.
The leadership of the new school will also get and has already gotten expert assistance from the Missouri Charter Public School Association, which was created for just that purpose. “It is our mission to help improve student achievement in Missouri through the charter school model,” said Dr. Doug Thaman, executive director of the Association.”We were delighted to guide and support KCGPA and are confident they will provide students with an excellent education.”
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Read the presser in its entirety.
Developing . . .
