Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Dear School Administrator:

As usual, the summer is flying past. It has been a while since I have written to you. Here are a few important items for your information.

REMINDER ABOUT THE AUGUST CONFERENCE; NEWS ABOUT THE STATE’S BUDGET OUTLOOK

We are receiving more registrations daily for our annual Cooperative Conference for School Administrators, which will be held August 5-7 at Tan-Tar-a. I hope to see many of you there.

The conference should be especially timely and important this year. We are still awaiting the "final word" from Governor Holden about budget withholdings for the coming year. I anticipate SIGNIFICANT withholdings from the funds appropriated for the coming year. We know this will have a major impact on our Department’s operations; all state agencies are preparing to implement a variety of austerity measures. However, we do NOT know, at this point, what education-related programs will or will not be subject to withholdings. By the time of the Administrators Conference next month, I hope we will be able to give you a clearer picture of what to expect in the coming months.

We also are awaiting final action by Congress on the President’s education plan. Regardless of the final agreement that the conference committee reaches about this plan, it is likely to have significant implications for Missouri’s student testing programs. Again, I hope that we will be able to give you better information about this issue and other federal-level issues by the time we convene next month for the Administrators Conference.

If you have NOT registered for the conference but would like to attend (or send a representative from your district), please call my office at 573-751-3563.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT "SENATE BILL 319"

On June 29, Governor Holden signed Senate Bill 319, an important measure that revises the previous statute regarding "social promotion" and the assessment of students’ reading skills. It also eliminates the "retest" requirement for students who score at the lowest level on the MAP exams. This law took effect July 1.

We have already received numerous calls from school officials concerning this important legislation. Enclosed is a document we have prepared ("Questions and Answers about Senate Bill 319") which I hope will be helpful to you, your board and your staff.

This issue is important! If you are not familiar with the key elements of Senate Bill 319, it is important that you study this information, share it with your board, and begin to think about its implications for your school district.

The State Board of Education will be discussing this topic at its meeting on July 26-27. Reading also will be the primary focus of the Administrators Conference next month, and we hope we will be able to provide you with more information that will be helpful as you prepare to deal with this new law.

IMPORTANT STAFF APPOINTMENTS AT DESE

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Bert Schulte as the Department’s new Assistant Commissioner for the Division of School Improvement (effective July 2). This position has been vacant since Dr. Orlo Shroyer was promoted to the position of Deputy Commissioner in January. Many of you know Bert. For the past 10 years, he served as assistant superintendent for instruction in the Columbia Public Schools. Previously, he was a teacher, principal and director of elementary education in the Jefferson City School District. This is a key position in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and we are delighted to have Dr. Schulte as part of our leadership team.

In addition, we have selected Dr. Ron Burks, associate superintendent of the Camdenton School District, to be the new coordinator of the Supervision/Missouri School Improvement Program Section, effective August 1. He will replace Dr. Lance Hutton, who retired at the end of May. We look forward to having Dr. Burks as a member of our staff.

We also welcome Tom Quinn, former superintendent of the Centralia School District, who joined our staff on July 2 as director of the School Governance Section. He replaces Gary Dixon who retired at the end of last month. In this role, Tom will handle a wide range of issues – district boundary lines, student residency, facilities, and others. His experience can be a useful resource for you.

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We are looking forward to an excellent meeting next month as many of Missouri’s education leaders convene for the Department’s annual conference. I hope the conference will help all of us get ready to start the new school year on the right foot.

There are significant challenges on the horizon for all of us. Therefore, it is more important than ever that we communicate effectively and that we support each other. Missouri’s public schools have accomplished a great deal in the past few years, and we have much to be proud of. We are on the right track, and we need to keep pushing forward.

Sincerely,

D. Kent King