education

The six-part series highlights University of Kansas faculty members exploring Taylor Swift's music, lyrics, business strategy and more. It precedes a full-blown course on Swift that could launch at KU next fall.

Wichita voice coach Amy Menas helps children chase their dreams of performing in musical theater. Her students have starred in local productions and have even made it to Broadway.

Voters in the Wichita school district will decide on the bond proposal in February. The plan would build several new schools and close about a dozen aging buildings.

ACLU of Kansas officials say an elementary school principal in Belleville invited a representative from Gideons International to distribute Bibles at the school. In a letter, the ACLU warned that the principal's actions violated the First Amendment, which mandates governmental neutrality when it comes to religion.

Raign PanKratz always wanted to be a teacher. This month, after years of college classes, student teaching and working at a summer camp for children, she’s finally starting her career teaching kindergarten at a south Wichita elementary school.

The proposed code categorizes student violations into three levels and lists possible consequences. It's being developed in response to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, which found that Wichita schools discriminated against students based on race and disability.

The Creative Minds school will be housed at the for-profit Learning Lab in downtown Wichita, an education collaborative with ties to Wichita-based Koch Inc. It will feature a one-room-schoolhouse approach, with about 20 students in its first class.

A proposed $450 million bond issue would reduce the Wichita district's overall footprint. Leaders say that would help them deal with declining enrollment and an estimated $1.2 billion in needed repairs and maintenance.

Concerned about whether Kansas youngsters get too much screen time, the State Board of Education has created a task force to address cell phones and other devices in classrooms. The group will develop policy recommendations and present them to the board later this year.

The Wichita school board's three conservative members — Kathy Bond, Hazel Stabler and Diane Albert — voiced concerns about the size and timing of a potential bond issue. District leaders say they can't refurbish schools without a bond.