Crossroads Academy Central Street
Central Street is a tuition-free K-6th grade charter school located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
All 6th grade graduates are guaranteed admission to Crossroads Preparatory Academy.
Principal: Katie Buzard-Zielsdorf
Vice-Principal: Justina Holt
D
ear Central Street Families, welcome to the 2023-2024 school year at Crossroads Academy-Central Street! The staff and I look forward to partnering with you in our scholar’s education. Thanks to the dedication of our team, the upcoming year is full of captivating opportunities that will develop and push our scholars to question and investigate the world
around them.
Dear Central Street Families, welcome to the 2023-2024 school year at Crossroads Academy-Central Street! The staff and I look forward to partnering with you in our scholar’s education. Thanks to the dedication of our team, the upcoming year is full of captivating opportunities that will develop and push our scholars to question and investigate the world
around them.
I want to share a bit about myself as we begin our new year. I grew up In Kearney, Missouri, where I graduated from high school. I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Fine Arts from William Jewell College. Following graduation, I taught second grade in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, before joining Teach for America in Kansas City. Next, I taught third grade for the next four years, during which I completed my first Master of Arts degree in Teaching English as a Second Language. After that, I earned my second Masters in Education from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education in the area of school leadership and after graduating, accepted a position as an Assistant Principal at a charter school in San Jose, California. During my two years there, I learned much about innovation, personalized learning, and parent power. I then accepted a position as Assistant Principal at Crossroads Central Street, which placed me closer to family.
I am proud to have been an assistant principal at Crossroads Central Street and am proud to be Principal for my seventh year in administration. I chose the Crossroads organization because of its tireless dedication toward educational equity, its emphasis on community engagement, and its creative education methods. I look forward to continuing our real-world learning and innovation work in the coming years. Outside of my work at Central Street, I teach classes at William Jewell College in their undergraduate and graduate degree programs, teach dance, and cheer for my favorite sports teams (GO CHIEFS!).
I wholeheartedly believe in our work at Crossroads Charter Schools. I plan to continue our team and parent partnership focused on developing an excellent educational experience for all our students. I am honored and humbled to continue this work alongside our fantastic team.
Thank you for choosing to be a part of our community at Central Street–we look forward to a great year!
In partnership,
Katie Buzard-Zielsdorf, Principal
Crossroads Academy – Central Street is a tuition-free charter school located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and a member of Crossroads Charter Schools.
Crossroads Charter Schools’ mission is to prepare and inspire students to build a better tomorrow by providing an academically rigorous K-12 education in a creative, collaborative, community-focused environment. Our vision is to be the premier school system in Kansas City and a destination for other educators seeking inspiration and best practices. Graduates of Crossroads Charter Schools will be scholarly, culturally literate, and service-oriented individuals who will pursue their dreams relentlessly and have a positive impact on their family, their community, and the world.
Crossroads Academy – Central Street, originally “Crossroads Academy,” opened in 2012 with 190 students in grades K–5th. Once a K – 8th school, now the school serves K – 6th. Sixth grade graduates are guaranteed admission into Crossroads Preparatory Academy, which serves 7th – 12th grade.
Graduates of Crossroads Charter Schools will be scholarly, culturally literate, and service- oriented individuals who will pursue their dreams relentlessly and have a positive impact on their family, their community, and the world.
Immersed in the civic, artistic, financial and historic heart of Kansas City, Crossroads Charter Schools embrace the exceptional learning opportunities of our urban setting. Our curriculum is aligned with the Missouri Learning Standards and grounded in the Framework for 21st Century Learning. Our highly-qualified teachers establish the expectations, structure, accountability, and creative environment necessary for truly exceptional learning.
As an independent charter school, Crossroads Academy – Central Street is accessible to any family living within the KCMO School District. Among these families, those living or working within the Greater Downtown Area (State Line to Prospect, the Missouri River to 39th Street) receive priority in our admissions lottery. All parents who are personally committed to high-expectations and want their child to learn in an academically rigorous environment are encouraged to apply.
With its high-expectations, focus on 21st Century Learning and community engagement,Crossroads Academy – Central Street is a source of gravity and pride for the Downtown community.
