Set the Schools Free is a blog dedicated to informing the conversation about public education in Kansas City through thoughtful, fact-based analysis.
The blog’s name comes from an op-ed I authored for the KC Star in January 2016. I wrote that our traditional public school district, KCPS, can’t truly compete with Kansas City’s growing public charter school sector as long as key decisions that affect district schools — like staffing, curriculum and budget — are made by the central office, far from the students and communities KCPS serves.
I believe there’s a middle path between an all-KCPS and all-charter district – one that captures the strengths of a centrally-coordinated school system while taking advantage of the flexibility and autonomy of the charter school model. A system better equipped to serve all families well.
But finding this middle path requires looking beyond the politics and constraints of our current school system to develop a vision for what public education in Kansas City can be.
About me: I’m Rebecca Haessig, a parent, writer and consultant based in Kansas City, Missouri. As creator and author of Set the Schools Free, I enjoy making complex information and ideas accessible and meaningful to a broad audience. The views shared on this blog are entirely my own.
My work focuses on fostering greater equity, transparency and accountability in public education. Previously, I’ve worked for the Missouri Public Charter School Association and co-founded a parent education program, Start at Zero. I was Director of Education Initiatives at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City and was a Strategy & Organization consultant with the firm Booz Allen Hamilton. I began my career in international development, working for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs in Washington, DC, and the Middle East. I have a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a B.A. from the University of Virginia.
I have a lot of ideas. I’ll be using this blog to share them. I’d like to hear your ideas, too. You can reach me at settheschoolsfree[at]gmail[dot]com.