By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
In a surprise move, Gov. Mike Kehoe has removed former state Sen. Charlie Shields of St. Joseph as president of the state Board of Education.
Kehoe has nominated four people to the board, which would replace half the members.
Executive Director Melissa Randol of the Missouri School Boards Association says the move surprised and disappointed her.
“Charlie has exhibited extraordinary leadership for the state of Missouri in many roles throughout his career, including as state board member and president and has led our state through some really difficult times,” Randel tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, we were surprised and, again, disappointed.”
Randol states Missouri benefitted from Shields’ steady leadership and deep understanding of education.
“All of us, when we’re dealing with tumultuous times, you want somebody in a leadership position who has the kind of experience and expertise that Charlie Shields has,” according to Randol. “So that’ll be a loss, for not just the state board, but for the state of Missouri.”
Former Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Shields to the Missouri Board of Education in August of 2012, after Shields serve in the state legislature, including as Senate President Pro Tem, the leader of the Senate. Shields became president of the state school board in 2015.
Under Shields’ leadership, the Missouri Board of Education launched the Office of Childhood, making the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education the lead agency for early learning, created the Show Me Standards, and established the “Science of Reading” to create a systematic approach to literacy. Shields also stabilized the state board after disgraced former Gov. Eric Greitens replaced members in a successful effort to fire Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven. The board eventually rehired Vandeven. The state board worked closely with former Gov. Mike Parson to create the Blue Ribbon Commission to increase teacher pay and fully fund the formula used to calculate state funding for public schools.
Randol praises Shields’ leadership through difficult.
“I think Missouri is, in fact I know Missouri is in much better shape in terms of our system of educating, our system of governing in education because of Charlie Shields’ leadership, because of his focus that resulted in our state being able to analyze, measure, focus on what are we doing to prepare Missouri’s children for their future?”
Kehoe announced four appointments to the Missouri Board of Education, including replacing Shields as president with Michael Matousek of Kansas City.
The nominations must be approved by the Missouri Senate.
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