Governor Matt Blunt (R-MO) has appointed State Board of Education member Peter Herschend to another term on the panel.
Herschend is the co-founder of Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, which operates such Branson attractions as Silver Dollar City, the Showboat Branson Belle, and Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner and Show.
Herschend, who has now been appointed to his third term on the State Board, says he has seen a great deal of change in attitudes toward education since he first sat on the Board in 1991, with the attitude regarding early education – kindergarten – being one of the major changes. All but a handful of Missouri school districts now offer kindergarten services. Another important change, says Herschend, is accountability, with districts being held accountable for results.
Herschend, who has twice served as President of the Board, first got involved in education at the local level, serving on the school board in Branson. He says it is important for highly successful businesspeople like him to give back – and he does so through education because that is an issue that interests him most. Herschend’s re-appointment is subject to Senate confirmation for a term ending July 1st, 2015.
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