Kansas City, Mo. School District Superintendent, John Covington, recently introduced the members of his hand-picked leadership team. Click on the link above to read their bios and learn more.
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Tag Archives: The Kansas City Star
KCMSD Superintendent Hand –Picks Cabinet
Posted in KCMSD In the News Also tagged John Covington, KCMO School District, Superintendent Leave a comment
Questions We Asked:
- In a recent Lewis Diuguid column in the Kansas City Star, it was noted that Dr. Covington may need to eliminate up to 1,500 employees. We support this swift action to “right-size” the District’s administration. What assurances can the administration give parents that the terminations will be based upon the performance and effectiveness of those employees and not solely related to their tenure?
- In an effort to streamline the District’s operations, Dr. Covington has noted that it may be necessary to close as many as 20 schools. What procedures are currently in place to insure that no new capital improvements are proposed, approved or conducted on buildings which may be closed in the coming year?
- In addition to closing schools currently in use, the District owns many vacant schools that have been designated as “surplus”. These buildings are closed and may be currently for sale. Please provide the number of buildings owned by the District that are listed as “surplus” as well as all vacant buildings not currently for sale and how much it costs the taxpayers to maintain these facilities on an annual basis.
- Dr. Covington noted in a recent interview with Steve Kraske that each teacher in the district will be provided an annual evaluation of their performance based upon classroom observations. We applaud this effort and to that extent, wish to know in what ways these teachers will also be held accountable for the academic performance of their students?
- Additionally, Dr. Covington stated that good teachers have the single biggest impact on student achievement. We agree that our students deserve fully certified and qualified teachers. With the exception of the Teach For America teachers, how many teachers will the district retain this year who hold only substitute or temporary certifications?
- Dissatisfied with the performance of the Success For All reading program, the school board charged the administration with the task of researching alternative programs. Our district promised it would spend the 2008–2009 year researching reading programs. It was not clear to the audience who attended previous board meetings what reading program was eventually approved by the Board. Please provide us with the details of what reading programs have been adopted by the district for the 2009–2010 school year and in what ways the staff have been trained to instruct them.
Posted in We Ask KCMSD Questions Also tagged John Covington, Kansas City Missouri School District, Lewis Diuguid, October 15 meeting Leave a comment
More Class Time = Smarter Kids
Some charter schools in the Kansas City area have figured out an equation for higher academic achievement. Longer school days and a longer school year can, in fact, boost academic achievement. Can Kansas City afford not to follow their lead? Click on the link above to learn more.
Posted in KCMSD In the News Also tagged charter school, Eric Adler, Kansas City, longer school day Leave a comment
John Covington’s Challenge
The Kansas City Star’s Lewis Diuguid suggests that Dr. John Covington, KCMSD superintendent, just may be able to reverse decades of failure in the district if only he can rally the community’s support. Will sprucing up the school yards and putting up billboards be enough to close the achievement gap, put qualified teachers in the classroom and “free the schools of a culture of complacency and fear?” Sounds like a monumental task without a fundamental shift in the way our district is run.
Click on the link above to read Mr. Diuguid’s column and enter your comments.
Posted in KCMSD In the News Also tagged John Covington, Kansas City Missouri School District, Lewis Diuguid, Superintendent Leave a comment
