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Weekly Update

This week’s highlights: Top News – As Kansas and Missouri work through their education budgets and consider changes to how they fund schools, special education funding is getting long-overdue attention — and the conversation couldn’t come at a more critical time. Missouri Update –…
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Weekly Update

This week’s highlights: Top News – Although the national test that measures academic achievement may have limitations, the data consistently shows that too many students are not proficient at reading, and progress remains slow. Missouri Update – House committee debates bill to…
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Weekly Update

This week’s highlights: Top News – For the second year in a row, leaders in Kansas are pushing a plan to consolidate early childhood programs and services currently spread across multiple state departments. Missouri Update – Kids Win Missouri, with the…
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Weekly Update

This week’s highlights: Top News – School choice remains a top priority for Governor Mike Kehoe’s administration, and this week, Missouri lawmakers made progress on one key component—open enrollment. Missouri Update – Bills related to educator tax deductions, hazing legislation, and open enrollment…
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Weekly Update

This week’s highlights: Top News – This week, NAEP test results revealed a sobering look at student achievement in the United States. Missouri Update – Governor Mike Kehoe wants to rewrite the state education funding formula. Kansas Update – Aligned has been actively…
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Weekly Update

This week’s highlights: Top News – Kansas Lawmakers Weigh Property Tax Relief Missouri Update – Early childhood council discusses program updates & strategic initiatives Kansas Update – Education policy proposals emerge in Topeka Additional Highlights – Brian Brush joins Aligned…
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Weekly Update

This week’s highlights: Top News – Governor Mike Kehoe credits mentorship in inauguration day speech. Missouri Update – Aligned and other child advocates met with Speaker Jon Patterson to discuss a proposal to create a community childcare exchange. Kansas Update – Governor Laura Kelly addresses childhood investment in…
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Weekly Update

This week’s highlights: Top News – Missouri releases playbook to curb teacher shortages. Missouri Update – Newly installed legislative leaders prioritize children Kansas Update – Members of the Kansas Legislature set their sights on a shorter session. Additional Highlights –…
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Update – December 2024

This week’s highlights: Top News – Aligned will continue to focus on early care and education solutions, open enrollment and college access, and school finance reform. Yesterday, we presented our priorities for 2025 to lawmakers and partners in a webinar detailing our…
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Update – November 2024

This month’s highlights: Top News – The implications of dismantling the Department of Education. Missouri Update – DESE releases school performance scores, which show some gains. Kansas Update – Blue Ribbon Task Force on screen time recommends a bell-to-bell cellphone ban. Additional Highlights – Aligned traveled…
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Update – October 2024

This month’s highlights: Top News—With millions of dollars flowing into the Show-Me State to fight over ballot initiatives related to gaming, we provide a deeper dive into where the proceeds go in Missouri and Kansas. Missouri Update – DESE is still playing catch-up on…
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Update – September 2024

This month’s highlights: Top News – Lawmakers held hearings during the Veto Session to question the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on the childcare subsidy payment backlog. Missouri Update – St. Louis Board of Education voted unanimously to terminate SLPS Superintendent Dr. Keisha Scarlett’s contract…
