Dr. Denise Cunningham, Missouri State University

“Dr. Cunningham has devoted considerable time and energy to developing programs and partnerships focused on recruiting new teachers into the profession. Dr. Cunningham has been strategic in developing partnerships with area school districts who offer child development coursework or Career Pathways for the Teaching Profession. Dr. Cunningham has developed annual programming focused on recruiting high school students into the teaching profession. Dr. Cunningham developed a week-long campus immersion experience.” 

Dr. Michael McBride, Northwest Missouri State University

“Dr. McBride looks carefully at the systems in place that our teachers must navigate and even more carefully at how to ensure that those systems are equitable. He guides us through discussions in which we examine our coursework to check that our practices align with what our students need to know and do in order to be not just certified teachers, but to be Great Teachers. Dr. McBride’s quiet but thorough work has earned him the respect of his colleagues.”

Senator Karla Eslinger, Missouri Senate

“Karla Eslinger has dedicated much of her work to advocating for improvement to education related policies. These include bills with provisions for the following: increase teacher salary, give school boards more flexibility to increase teacher pay to address hard to fill positions in certain subject matters and schools, provide teachers more flexibility in meeting career ladder achievements, including provisions to ensure that activities occurring DURING work hours are now included, begin a new scholarship program for the recruitment of teachers for hard to fill positions, and repeal current law that require pre-service teacher entrance exam.”