As a school board member I am bombarded with information, statistics and acronyms. These are the products of our current system of education. There are those that see this and assume that the system is broken. They assume it needs to be discarded and thrown away. After actually getting involved instead of assuming, I have found our system of education to be in a state disrepair and disarray, but not terminally broken. We have seen on a local level that the structure is still solid, the foundation still strong. The way education is monitored and driven is what must change. Effective leadership is needed and leaders across the state within the Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA) and the Missouri Association of School Adminstrators (MASA) have responded. The result of their efforts is the “Missouri Public Education Vision Project“.

I would encourage anyone that cares about education to read this document. It is not perfect, it does not have all the solutions, it IS a beginning. Public education is critical to our communities. It is an important part of the future of our children and grand-children. There is positive change happening in school districts throughout the state. If everyone works together we can truly make a difference.