News & Updates
Stay informed with Aligned's comprehensive coverage of legislative sessions in Kansas and Missouri.
From January to May, we deliver weekly statehouse recaps, keeping you up-to-date on key legislative developments.
Transitioning into June through December, our monthly reports delve into pertinent topics shaping the region.
Subscribe to our newsletter for timely access to press announcements, insightful education research, and detailed reports. You will also receive notifications for upcoming hearings, conferences, and meetings, ensuring you never miss a beat in the dynamic landscape of regional governance and education.
Featured News
![Empty college classroom](/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/2024-08/shutterstock_1596482341.jpg?itok=2hoxFdTa)
This monthβs highlights : Top News - The number of college closures has surged dramatically, with at least 30 institutions shutting down in 2023 and a rate of one per week in 2024, starkly higher than the previous highest annual closure rate of 13. Missouri Update - The Scholarship Foundation of St...
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![Student at desk taking exam](/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/2024-06/shutterstock_749740825.jpg?itok=jmoOHaml)
This week, the House Committee on Elementary & Secondary Education heard HB 2184 (Haffner), a bill that would modify school accountability metrics for Missouri's public and public charter schools. The current system, MSIP 6, measures student achievement and growth; however, public schools also...
![Rep. Shields stands with Garrett Webb](/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/2024-06/Screenshot%202024-06-13%20at%205.39.39%E2%80%AFPM.png?itok=KCiyjidd)
This week at the Missouri State Capitol, Representative Brenda Shields, a longtime champion of early education and former business leader, led a coalition of nearly a dozen respected statewide organizations to present HB 1486, which would remove the cap on Pre-K funding for 4-year-olds and expand a...
![Dictionary definition of the word "contempt"](/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/2024-06/Screenshot%202024-06-13%20at%205.45.30%E2%80%AFPM.png?itok=05uR_13S)
In yet another tumultuous week within the Missouri Senate, dysfunction reigned supreme as members of the newly formed Freedom Caucus clashed with Senate leaders over the Republican caucus's priority of initiative petition reform. The Senate floor witnessed fiery exchanges, a historic motion, and a...
![Babies dresses as businessmen do finance work](/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/2024-06/shutterstock_175974725.jpg?itok=8q2x9D8R)
Good things happen when business and education align. We started 2024 with possibly the best example of the power of alignment. The House Workforce and Infrastructure Committee heard HB 1488 this week. This bill creates three tax credit programs totaling $60 million that childcare providers and...
![Students stand upside down on stack of books.](/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/2024-06/shutterstock_143766661.jpg?itok=rr7CKYPv)
As we prepared to publish our first newsletter of 2024, an interesting update regarding education policy landed in our inboxes before we pressed send. Late Friday, the Missouri House posted a notification announcing the formation of a new committee: the House Special Committee on Education Reform.