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

School district’s landscaping bids come in almost 50 percent under budget: By Lindsey Slater; February 3, 2010; The Lawrence school district doesn’t have to pick and choose pieces of landscaping for the outdoor athletic high school facilities. The board-approved bid is about half of what the board budgeted.
Seeing life through a farmer’s eyes: Pupils’ farm knowledge grows: By Lindsey Slater; January 29, 2010; When most children think about pizza, it’s likely they don’t think about the farmers and animals behind the steaming, cheesy slice they’re about to chomp on.
Can’t hardly wait: Early graduation not coming soon enough for young Lawrence artist: By Lindsey Slater; January 26, 2010; Carlin Francis dabbles in just about every type of art there is to work with. She draws. She paints. She takes photos. She does it all…
Middle school timing uncertain: By Lindsey Slater; January 26, 2010; Lawrence school board members are sure they want to continue moving toward a middle school reconfiguration and a four-year high school, but the timeline on when to make the move is something they couldn’t agree on.
Eagles Day crowd pays rapt attention: By Lindsey Slater; January 25, 2010; The free event usually attracts about 1,000 visitors to learn about eagles, other birds of prey and ecology. Numerous community groups set up stands to provide information to participants about a particular interest.
Mentors keep young blacks on track: Group motivates students to aim higher; By Lindsey Slater; January 25, 2010; Evan Wilburn thought school just wasn’t for him. He wasn’t able to graduate after three years at Free State High School and wanted to drop out and get his GED.
District ponders moving ninth-graders to high school: By Lindsey Slater; January 24, 2010; Lawrence High School career and technical education teacher Charlie Lauts wants ninth-graders in her classes.
Group: More than education, schools offer community: By Lindsey Slater; January 20, 2010; Parents of schools around Lawrence are rallying together, worried their neighborhood schools might be closed as Lawrence Public Schools face a $4 million budget deficit.
District wants more info before deciding closures: Reconfiguring grades a possible way to save; By Lindsey Slater; January 13, 2010; At a study session Monday, Lawrence school board members reviewed pages and pages of information about the cost of operating schools. But they need more information. Much more.
Education leaders excited by Parkinson’s education funding proposals but not optimistic they will succeed: By Lindsey Slater; January 12, 2010; Gov. Mark Parkinson’s proposal to funnel more money into state coffers by increasing sales and cigarette taxes drew applause from education officials in Lawrence.

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