Education Archives – Page 2 of 7 – The Kansas City Defender

Kansas City Voters Approve a Historic $474 Million School Bond for KCPS and Welcome Two New Board Members

By Lynnie Holl ● Education ● April 9, 2025

Tuesday’s municipal election concluded with voters overwhelmingly passing a $474 million general bond to improve building maintenance for Kansas City’s public schools, while electing two new faces to the KCPS board of directors.

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KC School Board Hopefuls Weigh in on Tech, Immigration, and Student Safety at Community Forum

By Lynnie Holl ● Education ● April 5, 2025

KCPS Board Election: Here Are Your Candidates

By Lynnie Holl ● Education ● April 4, 2025

Missouri’s general municipal election will include a school board race for the Kansas City Public Schools District. 7 candidates are vying for three sub-districts and an At-Large bid. The Kansas City Defender was able to connect with four of those candidates for a Q&A.

B-REAL Academy Launches: A Radical Space for Black Study and Abolitionist Education

By KC Defender Staff ● Abolition ● February 25, 2025

The Defender’s inaugural Freedom School cohort brings together multiple generations of Black radicals, equipping them with organizing skills, Black radical history, and the tools to resist oppression.

Unhinged Lee’s Summit School Board Member Unleashes Conspiracy-Laden Facebook Post Attacking Black Parents & Journalist

By Ryan S. ● Education ● February 19, 2025

Lee’s Summit School Board Vice President Heather Eslick unleashed a race-fueled, conspiracy-laden attack against Black parents and The Kansas City Defender’s Editor. But this isn’t new—it’s part of a long history of white supremacist fear-mongering and coded dog-whistles. Here’s why we won’t be silent.

‘I’d Rather Be Persecuted Than Silent’: Rockhurst Fires Teacher for Standing With the Oppressed & Resisting Fascism

By Ryan S. ● Education ● November 19, 2024

James Gillcrist, anti-racist advocate who was arrested during the 2020 uprisings, a high school theology and philosophy teacher, was fired from Rockhurst High School for speaking out against Trump’s racist & fascist agenda. His open letter is a fearless, incendiary, prophetic call to action.

Hundreds Of Students Walkout, Occupy School & Chant “Free Colby” After Black Student Suspended For Standing Against Racist & Sexual Violence

By Silas Lee ● Justice ● September 5, 2024

Park Hill High School is experiencing a Mass Student Uprising after Black student leader, Colby Barker, was suspended last week for standing up against a white kid who threatened to rape multiple girl students & called Barker a “dirty n*gger.” Thus far, only Barker has been suspended.

Black Student Suspended for Self-Defense Against White Kid Who Called Him “Dirty N*gger” and Threatened to Sexually Assault Girl Students

By Ryan S. ● Education ● September 3, 2024

Park Hill High School has become a battleground where standing up against racist and sexual violence is met with punishment instead of justice. When a Black student was suspended for confronting a white peer who hurled hate speech and threatened to sexually assault his friend, the administration’s response was not to hold the predator accountable, but to silence the defender.

Black Education & the Importance of Fetching What Has Been Forgotten

By Dr. Marlee Bunch ● Education ● August 20, 2024

In her op-ed essay, Dr. Marlee Bunch–author of The Magnitude of Us–discusses her teaching framework, which centers on vital principles such as uniting for collective change, centering marginalized histories, using stories in the classroom & much more.

Lee’s Summit Residents Demand Resignation of Racist, Right-Wing Extremist School Board Member Bill Haley

By Ryan S. ● Education ● August 16, 2024

Outraged Lee’s Summit residents are calling for the immediate resignation of right-wing extremist school board member Bill Haley after his racist “Redneck Lives Matter” gun shell display, which “mocks” Black Lives Matter and glorifies guns in schools.