Lindsey Slater / LJWorld.com

Staff

Lindsey Slater (K-12 Education Reporter)

I was born and raised in Edwardsville, IL, a suburb of St. Louis. I attended my first Cardinals game when I was two. I had the entire 1988 starting line-up for the team memorized. I was three.

My high school mentor told me I should be a politician. My college friends said I should be a stand-up comedian. My mother told me to go into journalism. Note to readers: Mothers are always right.

I jetted from southern Illinois to Chicago to attend Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. I graduated with a BSJ in 2007. Yes, I went to a Big 10 school. No, I will not remove my purple hat with a large “N” on it. I may be a KU basketball convert, but those NU Wildcats are my football boys until the end.

NU not only prepared me for the rigors of life as a journalist, but also got me ready to survive any winter…anywhere. Kansas winters are nothing compared to life just a half mile from Lake Michigan.

If I had to listen to one band the rest of my life, it would be The Eagles.

Dexter and Mad Men are the best shows on television, but I also digest my fair share of heinous reality TV.

I have two cats: Kinko and Kisa. They share a water fountain and a jungle gym. I wish I was kidding.

My favorite part of my job is that everyone has a story and I love hearing them. Send me tips on anything related to K-12 education at lslater@ljworld.com. And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter. (And if you want to follow me as a person, that's here.)

Recent stories

Kansas father, son bring good behavior program to Lawrence junior high school: South Junior High pupils listen to music, watch videos of prisoners; By Lindsey Slater; November 5, 2009; Tom Bevard and his son, Randy, started the Road To Freedom program. They travel to Kansas middle schools and junior highs to talk to students about staying out of trouble.
Young students help battle cancer after classmate with leukemia dies: By Lindsey Slater; November 3, 2009; Elijah Cullison was diagnosed with leukemia in June. And now, his desk at Prairie Park School sits empty.
Gathering, ride honor fallen bicyclist: By Lindsey Slater; November 2, 2009; Friends and family gathered together on Sunday to honor the memory of Rachel Leek, a 20-year-old woman who was killed when her bike was hit by a car on Oct 16.
Hunting Lawrence’s ghosts: Company offers tours of reportedly haunted sites in city and area; By Lindsey Slater; October 30, 2009; Lawrence is a town with a lot of history, and to Beth Cooper that means one thing — plenty of places are haunted.
More information on high school reconfiguration sought: By Lindsey Slater; October 27, 2009; The Lawrence school district will continue looking into the logistics of moving ninth-graders to high school buildings as part of a potential school reconfiguration.
One mile at a time, marathon club hopes to spark lifetime habit in kids: By Lindsey Slater; October 26, 2009; Students at Langston Hughes School have the run of DeVictor Park twice a week before school starts.
After-school program gives students fitness, nutrition help: By Lindsey Slater; October 25, 2009; Up to 80 students can pile into Central Junior High School’s second gym and get time with a personal trainer twice a week.
Army captain comes home to Lawrence to tell students about his war stories: LHS grad has embraced military, from West Point to Special Forces; By Lindsey Slater; October 22, 2009; After graduating from Lawrence High School in 2001, Capt. Sean Patton enrolled at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 2005. He’s completed officer basic training, Ranger training and jump school — as in jumping out of airplanes — before being assigned to his first platoon with the 101st Airborne Division. He was 23.
Developmental screenings available: By Lindsey Slater; October 21, 2009; Lawrence Early Childhood Special Services will provide free developmental screenings for children from 3 to 5 years old.
Lawrence high school grads to celebrate 10-year reunion together: By Lindsey Slater; October 21, 2009; The Class of 1999 from both Lawrence High and Free State High are putting rivalries aside for a joint 10-year reunion this weekend.

Full story list

Recent photos

Domino Brewer, a sixth-grader at Langston Hughes School, participates in a financial camp sponsored by Meritrust Credit Union. The credit union sponsors the summer sessions to try to instill good money management habits at a young age.

Leni Salkind lights a giant menorah outside the South Park Recreation Center on the first night of Hanukkah. In back is Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel of the KU Chabad Center for Jewish Life.

Full photo list