Partnering again with The Hunt Institute, policymakers will focus on early childhood, K-12
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Returning to Lincoln University’s campus, legislators from across the state will convene for the second Missouri Legislators Retreat on Nov. 12-13 to engage in critical conversations with education leaders and national experts on topics that include early childhood systems, school discipline, teacher recruitment, and retention and career and technical education.
For the second time, The Hunt Institute, a national nonpartisan education policy organization, is partnering with the Retreat’s co-chairs to discuss relevant education policy issues and ensure diverse experts in early childhood and K-12 education are at the table. This year’s co-chairs are: Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe; Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft; Sen. Gary Romine, chairman of the Senate Education Committee; and Rep. Kathryn Swan, chair of the House Committee on Workforce Development.
“We are looking forward to convening Missouri’s legislators to put a spotlight on education – an issue that impacts all stakeholders,” said Ashcroft. “With a robust agenda complete with a diverse range of resource experts and educators, I’m confident that our state’s leaders will use this valuable time together to enhance their knowledge and learn how we can continue to steer education in Missouri in the right direction.”
The two-day retreat will open on Tuesday, Nov. 12 with sessions focusing on equity in early childhood, school discipline, data and accountability, and teacher recruitment and retention in hard-to-staff schools. The day will end with state and local superintendents and principals from urban and rural schools sharing their experiences recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers. The second day will include conversations on course access in rural schools, career & technical education and school funding.
“The Hunt Institute is excited to continue to support Missouri’s education leaders and policymakers who work to ensure quality education across the state,” said President & CEO of The Hunt Institute Dr. Javaid Siddiqi. “We know that education is a complex issue, but progress can only be made by bringing state leaders together who are committed to improving education for all students.”
The Hunt Institute is no stranger to Missouri’s education landscape. Just recently, The Institute, along with Education Commission of the States and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, partnered with Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven, who formed the Commissioner’s Education Policy Committee that developed a set of recommendations for the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. In January 2019, The Hunt Institute worked with Sec. Ashcroft, a Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellow, to bring the inaugural convening to the state.
