It’s Easier to Prepare Someone than to Repair Them
We have a workforce problem in Missouri. There are thousands of middle-skill jobs that we can’t fill. Companies are reluctant...
Course Access is Finally Available
After almost a year of waiting, course access for Missouri students is finally in sight. The Department of Elementary and...
Why Aren’t More Missouri Students Earning IRCs in Agriculture-Related Industries?
In many of Missouri’s school districts, career and technical education classes are available either through the local high school or...
Missouri Needs to Prepare for Expanding Tech Job Market
Recently, the Missouri Chamber Foundation released a report claiming that Missouri is situated for high growth in the technology industry...
Welcome to the Club, New Mexico!
After years of positive reforms that seek to improve one of the lowest performing school systems in the nation, New...
ESAs Could Give Educational Options to Low-Income Gifted Students
If a child begins the school year behind his peers, we want the school to help him catch up. But...
Failure Is Not an Option for Missouri School Districts-but Is That a Good Thing?
Imagine that you’re a professor at a large university and this spring you’re teaching one of the big freshman seminar...
Missouri’s Starting Teacher Salary Is Higher Than Previously Reported
“Missouri ranks 49th nationally in average starting teacher salary at $31,842.” This quote comes from an ABC 17 news report,...
There Is Not a Teacher Retention Crisis in Missouri
I wasn’t able to attend the recent meeting for the Missouri State Board of Education, but from what I can...
New Year’s Resolutions for DESE
The holidays are upon us, and now that we have a quorum on the state board of education and a...
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
On November 19, the Missouri State Board of Education met in a closed session to determine who would be selected...
Struggling High Schools Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
If Missouri has a workforce development problem—that is, if students are leaving high school without the skills they need to...
How Can Missouri Get More Out of Its CTE Programs?
It’s an alarming statistic. Even though more than 90 percent of Missouri high school students graduate, the Department of Elementary...
It’s Time to Fund Bryce’s Law
Dwight Scharnhorst was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2006. Shortly thereafter his grandson, Bryce, was diagnosed with...
It Depends on What You Mean by “Accredited”
Parents: Read the fine print. A recent blog post on chronic student absenteeism was written under the assumption that a...
Is Success Really Just a Matter of Showing Up?
A student who fails every test in a course is unlikely to get a passing grade just because he makes...
So Glad You Could Join Us . . .
It’s hard to see the chalkboard from the back of the class. When you’re not even in the room, it’s...
So That’s What You Spent Your Money On
A few weeks ago I asked the question, “school administrators, what did you spend your money on?” The purpose of...
Will Springfield School District Become the Next Kansas City or St. Louis?
At around 25,000 students, the Springfield Public Schools is currently the largest district in Missouri. Just 20 years ago, the...
What’s Going On with High School Graduation Rates in Missouri?
If you google “What is the value of a high school diploma?” you get some pretty inspiring results: “Though it...
