We’re building equitable, high-quality classrooms for all children through governance, trained and qualified school board members, and a robust, diverse pipeline of teachers.
Decades of redlining and inequitable funding have created a system where Kansas City Public Schools are under-performing, educator diversity does not reflect the students they serve, and Black students have the lowest educational outcomes, perpetuating a cycle where doors are closed and our Black students’ voices and needs aren’t heard.
Together, we accelerate it. In partnership with our community, we have changed the Kansas City educational ecosystem. And our impact is only getting bigger.
Through programs like the Charter School Board Draft and Teach KC, we recruit and train dedicated community members to join local school boards, strengthen the teacher pipeline, and develop Kansas City’s educators and school leaders.
We make sure our communities have a voice at every table to shape Kansas City’s public school system, including through our Community Blueprint for KC Schools. Translating data into actionable insights, we shape how schools are designed, funded, and governed.
By partnering with systems leaders, policymakers, and funders, we steer high-level decisions that shape what’s possible for Kansas City students.
Armed with data and community insight, we advocate for equitable and actionable investments, policies, and governance structures.
Through programs like the Charter School Board Draft and Teach KC, we recruit and train dedicated community members to join local school boards, strengthen the teacher pipeline, and develop Kansas City’s educators and school leaders.
We make sure our communities have a voice at every table to shape Kansas City’s public school system, including through our Community Blueprint for KC Schools. Translating data into actionable insights, we shape how schools are designed, funded, and governed.
By partnering with systems leaders, policymakers, and funders we steer high-level decisions that shape what’s possible for Kansas City students.
Armed with data and community insight, we advocate for equitable and actionable investments, policies, and governance structures.
Modeled after the NFL Draft to allow our community members to step into leadership roles, the Charter School Board Draft is a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to recruit, train, and place passionate community leaders onto charter school boards across Kansas City.
This program is a two-year community for newly placed charter school board members, built on three pillars: build collective power, govern with clarity, and sustain the joy of the role. Through six curated sessions, members grow alongside their peers and tackle real governance challenges, together.
Teach KC is a coalition-driven initiative focused on recruiting people of color into the teaching profession and building a stronger, more diverse educator pipeline across Kansas City. Through three pathways (high school, traditional, and alternative certification), Teach KC meets aspiring educators where they are and supports them into the classroom.
A summer literacy initiative to close the literacy gap for elementary school students. Six weeks of affirming, innovative instruction inspire the joy of reading and ensure no learning is lost between school years.
Freedom School is not running in 2026.
BLAQUE Kansas City’s Substack is where we break down data, elevate community voices, and bring you inside the education conversations impacting Kansas City and beyond.
Subscribe to Our SubstackDr. Cokethea Hill-Woodward began BLAQUE Kansas City after witnessing the pervasive impacts of Kansas City’s history of redlining and segregation on the public school educational system and Black students.
Formerly a grassroots movement, we are now a strategic partner to parents, teachers, leaders, and advocates, rebuilding the systems, creating talent pipelines, and ensuring classrooms allow each student to reach their full potential.
Education is the foundation on which all success is built. It is the great equalizer, but only when it's built for everyone.
Learn About Us
They change because of the work we do together. In classrooms, on school boards, in our community, and at tables where everyone has a seat.
Stay informed about our work and upcoming opportunities in Kansas City.