Serving Kansas City (Wyandotte County) Kansas for over 50 years!
Lindsey Jones, a Kansas City, Kansas, student, has been named to Biola University’s dean’s list for academic excellence.
Jones, a philosophy major, was one of about 1,700 students who were named to the dean’s list for spring 2021. Students on the dean’s list have a GPA of 3.6 or higher while enrolled in 12 or more credits, and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2.
Biola, a Christian university, is located in La Mirada, California.
Name and office sought:
Rachel Henderson (Russell), USD 500 School Board
Age: 32
Occupation and experience:
Director of community engagement, Cross-Lines Community Outreach
Education:
Piper High School graduate (2007), attended University of Kansas (2007), Kansas City Kansas Community College (2009), Emporia State University (2011-2012)
Organizations, clubs, groups to which you belong:
Rosedale Development Association (board member and board treasurer), Sumner High School and Frank Rushton Elementary PTA (president), KC COVID Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (board member), KC STEM Alliance (Leadership Team member), KC Chamber of Commerce Centurions Class of 2023 (Steering Committee member), Kauffman Education Fellow Class of 2022, Kansas City, Kansas, Chamber Ambassador.
Reasons for running
I am running for school board because of my strong belief in public school education. As a parent, I want to ensure my voice and other voices of parents and the community are at the table to ensure our children have the greatest opportunity to experience and be the best in their post K-12 pathways.
What are the three most important issues facing this position and how would you handle them?
1) Student achievement means supporting the needs of teachers and uplifting our students to succeed beyond grades and test scores. I want to address the achievement disparities that exist within our district and take care of our students’ needs — both in and out of the classroom. 2) I want to create space for more families, parents, and community voices to be elevated, engaged, and empowered to support their students. 3) Our students deserve to see a representation of themselves, across all facets of the school district: the classroom, off-on campus environments, and in their future careers. It’s imperative that we are intentional about this in all of our approaches from classroom offerings, hiring practices, vendor selection, curriculum, and book selections.
If you are not an incumbent, what would you change if elected?
I am advocating for the creation of a student and parent advisory board to review policies and provide feedback prior to policy changes or creation. Additionally, I’m advocating for a review and re-vamp of our current hiring practices specifically ensuring no individual makes under $15, reenvisioning job titles and classifications for non-teacher positions, and providing more consistent policies at a building level to ensure transparency and create more understanding in the community.
Have you run for elected office previously? When, results?
I have not previously run for an elected position.
Kansas City area students were among nearly 100 online students at Kansas State University who received scholarships for the fall semester.
The scholarships ranged from $300 to $1,000 each and totaled $50,300.
The students are predominantly adults attending classes part-time while balancing work and family responsibilities. The scholarships are available to part-time and full-time students to provide more individuals the opportunity to earn a degree at their own pace.
Among the online students from the Kansas City area who received scholarships were Anoud Aljbour, senior, elementary education, Maurine Allison O’Bannon Memorial Scholarship; Daniel Bauer, junior, food science and industry, College of Agriculture Scholarship for Distance Education Students; and Haley Foral, master’s student in teaching, Global Campus Scholarship for Distance Education Students.