Royals, entrepreneurial stars fielding pitches from Kansas City educators

Children today require more than just a pencil and paper to complete their lesson plan.

Thanks to a booming education technology market, teachers’ out-of-pocket spending goes far beyond the occasional pen, pencil or box of tissues nowadays. In 2013, teachers spent $1.6 billion annually to support their classroom.

To alleviate the climbing prices of basic resources, Teach for America Kansas City is hosting their second annual Shark Tank: Teacher Edition event. During the live event, teachers will answer the question: “If money were no object, what types of projects would you propose to benefit our students, schools and community?”

The teacher-focused Shark Tank — in which six educators will pitch to a panel of community leaders — has attracted a star-studded cast of sharks. Set for Oct. 24 at the Gem Theatre, the event will feature Kelvin Herrera, pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, Shirley Helzberg, co-founder of University Academy, Danny O’Neill, founder of The Roasterie and Haillee Bland-Walsh, owner of City Gym.

“The event was born from the idea that we can and need to do more as a city to celebrate and elevate the teaching profession,” said Chris Rosson, executive director of Teach For America Kansas City. “With this event, we wanted to put our incredibly intelligent, driven and hardworking teachers’ center stage, in the spotlight.”

Here’s a bit more from the presenting teachers:

• Jostna Dash, East High School — “I want to make sure that when my students leave my classroom, they are thinking critically about the world around them and they’re able to clearly talk and write about an idea. I want them to be advocates for themselves and for their dreams.”
  

• Giorgio Griffin, Hogan Prep — “I encourage my students to do what I couldn’t – and that’s to articulate themselves in a way that’s not aggressive, that’s to articulate themselves in a way that people will listen so they can get what they want, need and deserve.”

• Jenne Headrick, East High School — “My students are thrown into a world they are so unfamiliar with – they don’t know the language, food or culture- and they are quickly thrown into my classroom. When I think about that, I think ‘how would you feel, day after day, to be pushed past your limits?’ They are beyond resilient; I can’t explain how much they inspire me.”

• Kyle Prescott Ogunbase, The Ewing Marion Kauffman School —“When my students enter high school, I want them to be ready – not just to do work and get by- but to be ready to do well. I need to teach them the skills they need to know to be successful – whether that’s study habits, academic or emotional and coping skills.”

• Isao Osuga, Alta Vista High School — “I want the opportunity of options to be true for my students. I want them to be able to make choices that are based on information that they have and the curiosity that they develop around their goals.”

• Joey Saunders, United Inner City Services at St. Mark — “I want to be the one who lets my students know that they can be the author of their own story and that they can make a difference and always learn as long as they are willing to do the work.”