teachers

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.

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.

Students at Guadalupe Centers High School have spent weeks learning about specific races, ballot measures and candidates — even though many of them can't vote yet.

Claudene Wilson drove and cleaned up after multiple generations of students in the Swedeborg School District. As she enters a partial retirement, the district voted to honor her commitment by naming a K-8 elementary building in her honor.

The Independence School District transitioned to a four-day week with the hope to attract and retain more teachers. Applications skyrocketed after it made the switch, but a new Missouri law may do away with the shortened schedule.

The campaign behind Missouri Amendment 2, the November ballot measure to legalize sports gambling, claim the resulting revenues will help fund education in the state. But critics say the wording is misleading — and schools won't see any extra benefits.

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.

Teenagers now average nearly five hours per day on social media. But as Kansas and Missouri kids head back to school, experts say it's important to limit their screen time. Plus: We'll hear from a new teacher in Kansas about what she’s hoping from her first year on the job.

Many educators say their districts aren’t supplying everything their students need. Non-profit groups, community organizations and even the courts are stepping in to help meet needs across the Midwest, but education advocates say it’s not a long-term solution.

From student behavioral and emotional needs to longstanding issues with pay, teaching is challenging even in the best of circumstances. Three local elementary school teachers shared how they approached their recent first years, and how they plan to tackle the next.

During the most recent school year, KCPS launched a different grading system where the minimum grade on any given assignment is 40% — even if the student didn’t do a single bit of it. It has drawn a mix of praise and criticism.

The budget approved by Missouri lawmakers for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is $1 billion less than the current year’s appropriation. It might not cover all the costs of a wide-ranging new education law signed by Gov. Mike Parson.