Everyday parents grow weary from having to fight small battles such as discontinued programs, power-tripping principals, micro-managing administrators and uncommunicative staff. The parents are sick of it! We want to believe in KCMSD, yet these stumbling blocks continue to knock the wind out of them. Time and time again parents have expressed all they want is that their children go to school and learn in a safe and healthy environment. They want to be involved in their child's education. They want to ensure their children go out into the world prepared for what life will throw at them. We as a community want our children to succeed and to produce successful children. It is appearant parents and community no longer believe in KCMSD and the City of Kansas City, MO because they leave. When customers or stakeholders are dissatisfied with the level service, they either remove the barriers or change providers. Look at our failing corporations across the United States...their customers left.
The children of Kansas City are still crying...so the bigger question is, at what point will parents unite?
When the parents of Southwest, Paseo, Brookside, Hyde Park, Northeast, the Urban Core, Eastern KC, West Bluff and thE South end all come together and support one common vision: educated and successful children; then and only then is when the REAL CHANGE in our district will occur. THE PARENTS & COMMUNITY ULTIMATELY HAVE THE POWER! YOU ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS! When we begin to reach out to one another, unite and demand better service, then the small battles will come far and few in between.
Vision of the District
The Kansas City, Missouri School District envisions its schools as places where every student will develop deep understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue higher education, obtain family-supporting employment, contribute to the civic well-being of the community, and have the opportunity for a rewarding and fulfilling life. (http://www2.kcmsd.net/Pages/AboutKCMSD.aspx)
I think parents need a principal they believe in first. Second the principal must have the power to make changes and the resources to implement what is right. Third, teachers must find out why children are struggling to learn, not make assumptions; teachers must connect resources with kids (speach therapy, reading, math tutoring, developmental testing) and raise educational standards in the classroom. I went to conferences for my third grader and brought results of the developmental testing we had done at Children's Mercy. We knew our son was underperforming and his reading was choppy despite all our efforts as good parents. He was diagnosed with dyslexia. When discussing this with my son's teacher I was told that there is nothing wrong with my son and he is in the top reading group and I should never tell my son he has dyslexia because that would embarrass him. Shocked, I sat there with my mouth hanging open. When I recovered, I mentioned that during the two classroom programs I noticed several children that had slurred speach and wanted to know if she had connected those kids to possible therapy (mind you these kids are already in 3rd grade). She replied that she would never embarrass kids by saying they have a speech problem. Are you kidding me?!?!?!? This is why parents leave. I did go to our principal about my concerns and in the end it is a "wait and see what he does" situation. I hope he does what is right, we need someone to believe in.
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