By AP/St. Louis Public Radio
Kansas City, Mo. – The superintendent of the struggling Kansas City school district has released a five-year turnaround proposal.
The announcement comes a week after a divided school board approved plans to close nearly half the district's schools.
Superintendent John Covington now wants a longer school year, a longer school day and better teaching.
Teachers would be paid more based on how their students perform, and students of different ages could be in the same classroom instead of being separated by grade.
The Kansas City district has lost about half its students in the past decade, leaving many buildings underused.
Covington also wants to improve parental involvement, lure back students who have left school and eliminate unnecessary spending.