PREP-KC provides funding and strategic guidance to district partners to create new positions within the districts. Additionally, PREP-KC provides support through strategic partnerships to enrich college and career preparation, and to improve teaching and learning. 

KCMSD Family Advocacy Specialist
Kris Collins -  (bio) 

PREP-KC Fellows
Cecil Cristwell
Jarius Jones 

KCMSD College & Career Specialist
Tineka Fips - (bio)

Mathematics and Literacy Instructional Coaches 
PREP-KC provides funding for the KCMSD and KCKPS to hire one math instructional coach and one literacy instructional coach for each high school. In total, PREP-KC supports 18 instructional coaches. 

College & Career Coordinators 
PREP-KC provides funding for a new leadership role in every high school SLC – the College & Career Coordinator. Every SLC, in every high school in the KCMSD and KCKPS, has a teacher engaged in this new, critical leadership role. PREP-KC provides stipends for 46 teachers to be SLC College & Career Coordinators.

Kris Collins

As the Family Advocacy Specialist in the Kansas City, Missouri School District, Collins creates and implements systems designed to sustain and improve the Family Advocacy System in secondary schools implementing Achievement First. Under Collins’ leadership, the KCMSD adopted a new Family Advocacy curriculum and has instituted systems for supporting and monitoring family engagement efforts. Collins has deep expertise in issues of parent engagement and has provided consulting services to the Kauffman Scholars and the Partnership for Children.

Tineka Fips
As the College and Career Specialist in the Kansas City, Missouri School District, Ms. Fips’ goal is to build partnerships with educational entities and employers that will increase awareness for the students and teachers of the district, so that they are better able to see the relationship between academic success and career opportunities.  Ms. Fips previously worked as Youth Coordinator for Easter Jackson Region for Full Employment Council where she served in workforce development for ages 16-21. She has also worked as a contractor, for St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment and Better Family Life, Inc.,  implementing Workforce Investment Programs.  Ms. Fips has a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Environmental Sciences from University of Missouri- Columbia and Master’s Degree in Management and Leadership from Webster University.
return to top