SchoolSmart KC

05/18/2026

Congratulations to Sarena Weatherspoon, promoted to Program Coordinator at SchoolSmart KC!

Sarena turns “plans” into "done." She moves between working styles, partners across every corner of our work, and keeps the moving pieces on track. Watch out KC, she's just getting started.

Congratulations, Sarena, super proud of you!

05/18/2026

Congratulations to Kris Collins, promoted to Senior Program Director at SchoolSmart KC!

Kris's leadership has built deep trust across our PreK Cooperative ecosystem, and that trust has grown the Coop's reach and impact under her watch. She shows up from the first conversation, does the homework, brings thoughtful recommendations, and follows through. Our partners count on her instincts, and our funders stay invested because of them.

We can't wait to see what she builds next - Congratulations, Kris, we’re so proud of you!

05/06/2026

Where will you be when you're 80?

Deanna Rogers will be in the classroom. She was there today. She'll be there tomorrow.

50+ years of teaching - rural Kansas, post-Katrina New Orleans, and now back home in Kansas City at East High School, where her students call her abuela and ayeeyo (Grandma in their language) and spend their lunch hour in her room.

SchoolSmartKC and The Kansas City Royals Foundation honored Ms. Rogers today with the 2026 Excellence in Education Lifetime Achievement Award - $20,000 doesn't come close to covering what she's given this city.

One of her students said it plainly: "It took almost a year for me to finally listen to her. Her patience and persistence are the reason I started to change." A whole year, Ms. Rogers didn't flinch.

Her principal calls her a unicorn….we agree.

Ms. Rogers, Kansas City is lucky you came home!

Kansas City Public Schools

05/04/2026

A teacher's week, in pieces: 150 students by name. Five preps. A fire drill. Two IEP meetings. The student who finally got fractions. The one who needs a check-in tomorrow. A family call worth every minute. And the constant question of what to teach next so every student's needs are met.

This is why we celebrate educators.

Swipe for the 37 Finalists for our 2026 Excellence in Education (EIE) awards, in partnership with the Royals Foundation. Every name was put here by someone who watched them do the work (a student, a family, a colleague) and thought they should be celebrated.

Winners announced in August, Finalists today - in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week.

If you know an educator, celebrate them!

04/15/2026

The data is clear and it's not new to us.

A recent KCTV5 News Kansas City report highlighted the racial reading proficiency gap across Kansas City. 22% of Black students and 27% of Hispanic students are reading at grade level, compared to 61% of white students.

SSKC works side-by-side with the people who know students best- Families, Educators, Local partners. When community leads, student success follows. Thank you to Ebony Hart, Catina Taylor (Dreams KC), and Beatrice Henry (Joy of Reading) for being partners in this work.

This is why SchoolSmartKC and our funding partners launched the Literacy for All Students campaign, city-wide.

📰 Read the full story: https://www.kctv5.com/2026/04/13/black-hispanic-students-struggle-read-kansas-city-system-fails-close-gap/

📍 Learn more about Literacy for All Students: https://schoolsmartkc.org/investments/literacy/

A new study reveals just 22% of Black students and 27% of Hispanic students in Kansas City are proficient in reading, compared to 61% of white students.

03/30/2026

Big step for Weatherspoon - Congratulations on her Board service with !

Recognized for her leadership and helping shape what’s next across Kansas City.

Leadership is part of who we are at SchoolSmartKC.

Read more below ⬇️
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18GF2WCs8E/

03/25/2026

Stanley Taylor Jr. Taylor has been named a 2026 Roots & Rise Honoree!

His leadership reflects what strong community-centered work looks like, supporting young people and expanding opportunity across Kansas City - core to our work at SchoolSmartKC.

Recognized by Echoes Of The City KC on February 28, this honor reflects the consistency behind his impact.

This is the kind of leadership that moves a city – Proud to have Stanley on our Team!

03/24/2026

Literacy has the spotlight. Now it’s time to deliver.

Kansas City is not starting from zero. The work is already underway.

Proud to see our President & CEO, Angelique Nedved, part of this conversation alongside state and local leaders focused on what actually changes outcomes.

This is the conversation to watch.

03/12/2026

This is SchoolSmartKC.

Many people see only one part of our work.

Our literacy supports.
Our Pre-K Coop expansion.
Our Data Summits.
Our partnerships with schools.

But the story across Kansas City is bigger than any one initiative.

A community choosing to organize around students.

Schools working hard to accelerate growth.

A city building a public education system where opportunity reaches every child.

This is SchoolSmartKC.

Our Students. Our City. Our Future.

03/09/2026

Each year, leaders from across the Kansas City Public Education System come together for SchoolSmartKC’s Annual Data Summit.

District and Charter school leaders, board members, community partners, business and civic leaders, and elected officials review the same student data and ask the same question: how do we deepen coordination so growth leads to stronger outcomes for more students?

This short Impact Episode captures reflections from leaders who joined us at the most recent Summit - Take a look.