Missouri
News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Missouri
Teaching
This Teaching Routine Takes Just 5 Minutes. Its Impact Lasts Much Longer
It's no gimmick. Greeting students individually at the classroom door has been linked to benefits for both teachers and students.
School & District Management
This State Created a Retention System for Principals. Here’s Why It Worked
Missouri has deepened the support it offers to new principals through a partly federally funded, two-year mentoring program.
School & District Management
Super Bowl Districts Face Super-Sized Call: Should They Cancel Class for a Victory Parade?
Concerned about absenteeism, district leaders face tough decisions about days off for community events.
School & District Management
5 Mistakes Schools Make When Building SEL Programs
Experts weigh in on how to avoid parental and community backlash against social-emotional learning initiatives.
Student Well-Being
What 1 State's Saga Shows About the Status of Social-Emotional Learning
Missouri's board of education chose to redefine SEL standards as an optional framework for districts, citing confusion and division.
Student Well-Being
Rural Districts Get Creative Amid a Spike in Students’ Mental Health Needs
Rural districts don't have the same resources as more urban districts to scale up mental health services despite similar levels of need.
Student Achievement
How These Districts Are Using $10,000 to Boost Student Learning
The pilot projects, begun with grants from the National Education Association, aim to curb absenteeism, supply food, and offer tutoring.
Recruitment & Retention
Teacher Autonomy Isn't Dead. Here's How to Achieve It
Award-winning teachers and other experts suggest ways to build and maintain this cherished professional freedom.
Student Well-Being
States Look to Social-Emotional Learning to Combat Student Misbehavior, Poor Mental Health
Experts say SEL can be a first line of defense against youth mental health problems and misbehavior, but political resistance continues.
Assessment
States Eye Assessment Throughout the Year as Frustration With Standardized Testing Mounts
Some states are working to transition to through-year testing models in an effort to make standardized tests more relevant to educators.
Recruitment & Retention
5 Ways Districts Are Filling Teacher Vacancies
Hiring international teachers, bringing teachers out of retirement, and using virtual learning are some of districts' solutions.
School & District Management
How Can Districts Prepare for the Next Pandemic?
There's some evidence that more school districts have prepared for the next pandemic and specifically considered how to keep classes going.
Law & Courts
2 Big Supreme Court Cases—But Not the Ones You Think—With Implications for Public Schools
Employees won stronger ground to claim a religious accommodation, as a new case will address when job transfers are covered by federal law.
Equity & Diversity
Meet the High School Student Helping Her City Study Reparations for Black Residents
In Kansas City, Mo., 17-year-old Madison Lyman serves on a 13-member commission studying reparations for Black residents.