Area school leaders review programs, concerns with districts

Local superintendents address Missouri Retired Teachers in Monett at January meeting
 
Eight southwest Missouri school superintendents addressed state oversight and projects within their districts during the Jan. 8 meeting of the Missouri Retired Teachers Association, held at Angus Branch restaurant in Monett.
Ben Yocom from Aurora, Tim Jordan from Exeter, Christina West from Mt. Vernon, Melody Whitehead from Verona, Dustin Storm from Miller, Matt Street from Pierce City, Merlyn Johnson from Cassville, and Mark Drake from Monett reviewed concerns and aspirations looking at the coming school year.
Aurora
Ben Yocom from Aurora led the discussion, declaring, “Our public schools are under attack. It’s emotionally sickening to me. We’re going to continue to fight the fight. Without public schools, where would we be?”
In the coming Missouri General Assembly session, Yocom expected open enrollment to again be a hot topic. He thought it would pass this year, getting through hurdles that have previous stopped it in the Missouri Senate.
“I believe open enrollment is a movement designed to backhandedly close smaller schools,” Yocom said. “In a small community, the school is a hub of the community.”
In Aurora, Yocom described three phases planned for the long-range master plan, with renovation and new construction in each part. Robinson Elementary would see heavy investment in one hallway. The district plans to build both a performing arts center and a sports stadium. He expected to put a ballot issue before voters this April.
The district, he continued, has made aggressive strides in raising salaries from 5 to 13 percent, including adding a longevity composite. This cost the district an extra $231,000 this year. No decision has yet been made on whether an annual increase can be implemented, or just to offer raises at benchmarks.
Curriculum, which Yocom called “dead” when he arrived in Aurora three years ago, is improving beyond buying packages. Now, teachers were collaborating to decide what works best for each grade level. He criticized the state’s Annual Performance Review as “a moving target.” To make real gains, Aurora was advancing its program Sources of Strength that includes teaching students how to support other students, an outgrowth of suicide situations. In grades 9 to 12, 65 students are presently engaged in that effort.
Exeter
Tim Jordan, a 21-year educator in his fifth year as superintendent, reported his district of 320 students is working on building a culture and family environment. He cited passage of a bond issue in 2007 to begin building improvements, leading to the construction of an ag shop, with resources for welding and woodworking. The growing band program now has one room, rather than being spread around the school. The weight room was moved from out by the bus barn to behind the gym.
A broader view has reached out to touch all students, even those who had no idea of what they wanted to do after high school. Programs to help students going into farming and trade school helped partnerships with the Scott Regional Technology Center in Monett grow, where a high percentage of Exeter students attend.
Jordan confirmed work on improving salaries, both at the base and for longer-serving teachers. He admitted funding and maintaining teachers was a challenge. “We’re trying to make our school the best it can be, so we have a leg to stand on as a small district,” he added.
Mt. Vernon
Christina West is in her first year as superintendent as part of her 28 years as an educator, 10 as elementary principal in Mt. Vernon. She said new challenges face districts. Some teachers, who have come in without student teaching experience, have needed on-the-job experience. Another challenge comes from several veteran administrators retiring this year. The district loses the history that came from those leaders, but also sees excitement in change and “finding really good people to fill those roles.”
As part of the district’s push to improve, West described efforts to build a new performing arts center, promised in 1997, now underway. She described sitting in the Mt. Vernon stadium, seeing 75 in the band and the FFA, with over 200 students, involved in a program, as positive ways to connect students. “That’s what schools have always been about,” she said.
“I always wanted to be a teacher,” West said. “Not every kid knows what they want to do. Our job is to show them pathways.” She praised using the GO CAPS program in Monett as one such vehicle.
This year Mt. Vernon has hired its own school resource officer for the first time. West has talked with Mt. Vernon’s new city administrator, Robert Harrington, about building a greater connection between the city and the school. “I think there are opportunities for both,” she said.
“To have really good teachers, we must remember and invest in them,” West  continued. “We’re constantly fighting to keep them. We want them to know they’re valued. The challenges are all there. We’re going to put out this fire.”
Verona
Melody Whitehead, in her second year as superintendent, reported Verona will also go to voters in April with a no-tax-increase bond issue. Immediate needs call for a new roof on the elementary school, new heating and air conditioning units, and “a facelift” on the middle school, the oldest part of the campus, to make it “look less industrial.”
“We are that small rural school that’s under attack,” Whitehead said. “We compete with Monett and Aurora for staff. We thought we had an in with a four-day schedule. It’s not so much now that Aurora has done it too.”
Whitehead noted the district had a salary cap on incoming teachers, only crediting them with five years of previous experience on the salary schedule, then a cap at 10 years of experience. “I talked the board out of that,” she said, costing “a bunch of pay increases this year.” The district also implemented the Career Ladder, generating after-school activity by teachers in tutoring, reading, and even music clubs.
As for the state’s Annual Performance Review, Whitehead said Verona “may not look that great” set next to results from other districts, but she added the numbers “are not telling the story.” She noted only 25 percent of seniors take the ACT college entrance exam while 25 percent don’t intend to go to college and see no reason to participate. As an innovation, she noted Verona started a youth apprenticeship program, where students can receive training for a job and get paid while at school. One student now works as a paraprofessional in the school. Such examples, she said, show “We’re making strides.”
Miller
Dustin Storm is retiring this year after 28 years in education, 11 as the Miller superintendent. He spoke reflectively on how Miller has changed, from the construction of FEMA shelters, ag buildings, and a new gym, to what he viewed as the best accomplishment, now starting board meetings with a prayer.
“Faith, family, and jobs is the cornerstone of the district,” Storm said. “We keep our ducks in a row. We’re going to fight for our kids.”
He noted that Ben Abramovitz, the current high school principal, will succeed him as superintendent on July 1.
Pierce City
Matt Street, now in his 19th year with the Pierce City district, his second as superintendent, said with 750 students and enrollment up 5 percent, the district is feeling some strain housing all the classes. Construction of a second storm shelter attached to the elementary campus ended the need to bring younger students across the street under threatening weather.
Built with local funds, along with federal American Recovery Plan money which he did not mention, the new shelter does not have to open to the public, unlike a FEMA shelter, keeping young children separated from unknown persons. The fall open house showing off the shelter, he said, was the best attended in years. Street would like to see the pre-school expand to a full day from the half-day sessions at present.
As one of the first districts to go to the four-day week, Pierce City offers Career Ladder and budgets tuition reimbursement to teachers. Street noted about 25 percent of the staff are Pierce City graduates, and most of the administrative team has been in place at least a decade. Street admitted the district’s curriculum “was shaky all over the place,” but now is undergoing an overhaul, tying instruction together between grade levels. He said while seeing the state’s Annual Performance Review improve, the product of student growth was more important.
“We’ve offered so many extracurricular activities that kids are spread so thin. We’re trying to figure out how to let them be in all the programs. We’re throwing a lot at the wall to see what sticks. We don’t want to cut programs.”
Street pointed to partnerships with the Scott Regional Technology Center in Monett and GO CAPS as good advancement opportunities for students. The district dropped its cap on the number of students who can participate in them.
He also cited a Kids First program. With many students coming from poverty, Street said the district has sought donations to set up a pantry for food, school supplies, and free clothing. Students come there after hours, protecting their identities. The Student Council and the National Honor Society groups helped to organize it.
With a teacher shortage, Street said Pierce City also has a number of new teachers coming in with no student teaching experience. “Many do not know how to run or control a classroom. We teach them, and get the teacher we want,” he added.
Cassville
Merlyn Johnson, in his 28th year in education and fifth as the Cassville superintendent, thanked the retired teachers for staying engaged with the education field. Today’s younger generation of teachers, he observed, come in with “a different mindset.” While past teachers thought, “How can I make school a great place?”, districts today do things to recruit and retain teachers that his mother, also a teacher, would consider “pampering,” like the four-day school. The “super-friendly” schedule for teachers lets out classes earlier in May than other districts, giving teachers and families an earlier start on their summer.
Cassville, he noted, is officially a five-day school, but is actually a hybrid, operating four days for half of the year, changing which day is off from week to week. The district remains competitive on its salary schedule, and is neither at the bottom nor top in comparison with others. “We’re working on salaries and benefits,” he added.
Cassville recently opened its performing arts center, which Johnson called “the best facility thing we’ve ever done. It’s really given kids a place if they thought they’d been left out. Families really appreciate it.” In addition, the district has opened its own farm, the Wild C Farm, where ag students can do activities.
The district has launched its Course of a Graduate program, talking to local businesses about what deficiencies they are seeing in recent graduates, even small things like eye contact, where the school can put an extra emphasis. “It doesn’t make sense to prepare a student to be successful in Chicago and Dallas. We want them to able to relate here. If they can be successful in Barry County, they can be successful everywhere.”
In an innovative step, the Cassville school board has authorized faculty to have armed staff. Johnson said participating faculty receive rigorous training. Rather than wait for a police officer to intervene, faculty can respond to any hallway within 30 seconds. “The community is very grateful we’re doing this,” he added.
To enhance community involvement with young people, high school seniors are meeting with senior citizens in teaching sessions on current technology. Johnson added Cassville is the reigning champion in the southwest Missouri pickleball tournament. He challenged those present to bring a team to the next tournament in the spring.
Monett
Mark Drake, in his sixth year as Monett superintendent, talked about strengthening the partnership between the district and the city on projects like the new tennis courts at North Park. He called the Scott Regional Technology Center and GO CAPS among the best things Monett does. Even though the programs run at a deficit financially, he said they bring success to students. The district plans to build onto Scott Tech in the next five years and is surveying schools that send students about what programs they would like to see expand.
Looking ahead, Drake said the board is developing its new 10-year plan. That will include transitioning the high school into the new middle school building by 2032. Retention of staff held at 90 percent last year for the first time since 2016. The district has redefined its vision statement with nine core values to live by.
Drake also discussed the new partnership with Evangel University to offer master’s and doctoral degrees in Monett through the university. For students, he noted Monett has started e-sports teams, offering opportunities for scholarships in gaming.
Questions
The superintendents appeared united in concerns about changes coming down from state leaders. Drake talked about making an in-person appeal to the State Board of Education over the new ruling over when school could start. That would push Monett’s 169-day schedule into June to finish classes.
Skepticism was expressed over changes in the School Modernization Task Force with appointments made by Governor Mike Kehoe of people who have expressed strong anti-public-education sentiments. Asked about Gov. Kehoe’s idea about taking over the Missouri State High School Activities Association, Matt Street responded, “I think the fewer appointments this governor makes, the better. I think it would be a disaster.”
Sherry Rouner, vice president of MRTA Region 1, urged the superintendents to let current faculty respond to the MRTA’s Calls to Action when concerning legislation advances at the state legislature, broadening the voices who respond.