Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)

Missouri education leaders said complex licensing regulations make the child care field unattractive to prospective providers amid a statewide shortage.

The National Assessment of Education Progress found Missouri and other states made small gains in some areas, but students are struggling to return to pre-pandemic math and reading levels.

Some child care centers closed and others turned away families during months of missed payments caused by software problems. But Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger said 70% of that backlog has been resolved.

The Missouri Charter Public School Commission voted not to renew Genesis School's charter for another five years. The charter school has long served students in Kansas City who struggle academically.

Missouri Department of Secondary and Elementary Education officials said the data signals a turning point in a teacher shortage the state has struggled to address in recent years.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education believes that lowering a GPA requirement for teachers will improve teacher recruitment and retention without reducing educator quality.

The district scored higher than 70% on its state performance report, but Missouri wants more data before it changes accreditation.

Academic performance at most public schools has improved, but attendance is not back to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report from the Missouri Department of Secondary and Elementary Education.

A Kansas doctor wants to make everyday health care more affordable through a model called direct primary care, where patients pay a monthly fee for services instead of using insurance. Plus: The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a new leader this school year.

Karla Eslinger, an Ozark Republican who served the past four years as a Missouri state senator, passed on a second term. Instead, she began her tenure as commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in June.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is weeks behind in paying subsidies for child care centers and families. Centers already were facing financial issues.

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick says he'll only investigate the state's charter schools — which are all in Kansas City or St. Louis — if formal complaints show “specific problems. Union leaders sent a letter to the auditor's office in August.