Mallory McGowin Archives

Missouri Board of Education talks about ongoing challenges schools face during pandemic

October 21, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

The Missouri Board of Education discussed Tuesday the obstacles and additional workload that teachers and other school workers are dealing with this year. Member Don Claycomb said he expects a much greater number of teachers to leave the profession due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Missouri Board of Education talks about ongoing challenges schools are facing during pandemic

“Apparently some feel pushed to the wall,” he said.

Missouri already has a chronic shortage of teachers. Pay is a major reason for the state’s teacher workforce problems. Missouri’s average teacher salary is about $42,000 – ranking it about 42nd in the nation.

The state has about 70,000 pre-K through 12 teachers.

Board President Charlie Shields made a request.

“And I am serious about is there something that you can do for teachers that if you can make it through to the end, which is a challenge for some, that there would be some sort of retention bonus or something like that. I mean, if you would at least dig deeper to make sure I’m not off base on that,” said Shields.

Some states are using a guideline that allows school staff and students to avoid quarantining if masks are worn in school and they do not show symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. Doing so would prevent the back and forth shuffling of students and workers from in-person schooling to remote learning if someone considered a close contact comes down with COVID-19.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mallory McGowin said if schools require masks at the local level, such a mandate could be beneficial to them.

“Our school leaders just are having a hard time feeling like they are sustainable for the next seven months of the school year,” said McGowin. “And so, we have let our school leaders know we will continue to push for a closer look at some of these measures.”

McGowin said the state is not at a point yet to require a statewide mask order within schools. Missouri has prided itself on being a local control state.

1,400 Missourians enroll in rapid substitute teacher training option

October 6, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) says more than 1,400 individuals have already enrolled in a training program to become a K-12 substitute teacher. DESE spokesperson Mallory McGowin tells Missourinet about 200 of the candidates have completed all other necessary requirements to be certified – an application and a background check.

1,400 Missourians enrolled in rapid substitute teacher training option

On September 3, the state launched the 22-hour online course for those wishing to break into the field during a time when Missouri education leaders anticipate COVID-19 will cause an even greater teacher shortage.

The training, which is aligned with Missouri teacher standards and includes embedded assessments, involves topics about:

1. Professionalism: Appropriate conduct, confidentiality, legal responsibilities
2. Honoring diversity: Basic terminology and appropriate actions
3. Student engagement: Basic definitions and appropriate strategies
4. Foundational classroom management techniques: Ways to control a classroom and diffusing conflict
5. Basic instructional strategies: Effective questioning, assessment methods, lesson plans
6. Supporting students with special needs: Basic terminology of disorders and characteristics and appropriate strategies
7. Working with at-risk youth: Learning traits, characteristics, and appropriate strategies

Frontline Education is the company offering the training. The cost for the full set of courses required to meet certification is $175.

For the time being, the program is a temporary option DESE is allowing. The Missouri Board of Education passed the emergency rule in August and is set to expire at the end of February 2021.

Prospective substitutes still have the option of getting certified by way of the traditional 60 college credit hours.

Earlier stories:

Missouri Board of Education to consider proposal intended to boost substitute teacher population
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/08/13/missouri-board-of-education-to-consider-proposal-intended-to-boost-substitute-teacher-population/?preview_id=126287&preview_nonce=51df3cecd5&_thumbnail_id=122194&preview=true

Missouri temporarily allows reduced training option to become substitute teacher
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/08/18/missouri-temporarily-allows-reduced-training-option-to-become-substitute-teacher/

Missouri launches online training course to fast track prospective substitute teachers
https://www.missourinet.com/2020/09/02/missouri-launches-online-training-course-to-fast-track-prospective-substitute-teachers/

Missouri to receive 120,000 rapid COVID-19 tests this week

September 30, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

The federal government plans to deliver more than 150 million rapid COVID-19 tests around the country. The nasal swab tests are not as uncomfortable as other versions and they can deliver results in about 15 minutes. During today’s virtual briefing at the Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City, Gov. Mike Parson says Missouri will be getting a share of those tests.

Missouri to receive 120,000 rapid COVID-19 tests this week

“We expect to receive 120,000 of these tests in Missouri by the end of the week and nearly two million by the end of the year,” says Parson.

Getting the tests to schools and long-term care centers will be a top priority.

During a State Board of Education meeting this month, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mallory McGowin said the agency is working with the statewide COVID response team to develop the plans and guidance for this new line of effort.

“Being able to test a symptomatic member of your school staff to know if he or she could come into work that morning or not, could be really valuable to address the workforce issue we’ve heard great concern about,” she said.

Missouri has had ongoing problems with keeping teachers around and the shortage is expected to be even greater during the pandemic.

The tests will arrive after a new White House Coronavirus Task Force report says new hospital admissions are increasing and case rates put Missouri in a vulnerable position going into the fall and winter. A report, dated September 27, says Missouri has the 8th highest rate of COVID-19 cases in the country, listing the state again in the red zone for cases based on population.

Missouri to get rapid COVID-19 tests for long term care centers and schools

September 16, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

The federal government plans to deliver more than 150 million rapid COVID-19 tests around the country. Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) spokesperson Mallory McGowin says long term care centers and higher education and K-12 schools will be at the top of the priority list. She expects the tests to come to Missouri in waves later this fall.

Missouri to get rapid COVID-19 tests for long term care centers and schools

During Tuesday’s state Board of Education meeting, McGowin said the tests are not as uncomfortable as other nasal swab versions and they give results in about 15 minutes.

Missouri has had ongoing problems with keeping teachers around and the shortage is expected to be even greater during the pandemic.

The breakdown of how many tests Missouri will get and when the state will have them available for use is in the planning stages.

“We are working with the statewide COVID response team to develop the plans, and guidance, etc. for this new line of effort. Just trying to really advocate for realistic use of our existing time and resources to make that happen at the school level,” McGowin says.

The BinaxNOW antigen tests detect proteins on the surface of the virus.

Hundreds seek to become Missouri substitute teachers through speedy online training path

September 14, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

On September 3, the state launched a 22-hour online training program for Missourians interested in becoming a K-12 substitute teacher. State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) spokesperson Mallory McGowin tells Missourinet as of last Thursday afternoon, 734 have enrolled in the program.

Hundreds seek to become Missouri substitute teachers through speedy online training path

Last month, the Missouri Board of Education voted to temporarily give prospective substitutes the option of using the expedited certification method or completing the standard 60 college credit hours. The move is meant to help bridge a projected teacher gap during COVID-19. Missouri has had a persistent shortage of permanent teachers and state officials think the need for teachers could be greater during the pandemic. The demand for extra teachers is expected to vary depending on the district, subject, region, among other things.

McGowin says some people have already completed the training and the department has issued a substitute teacher certificate to them. She says Frontline Education, the company offering the training, issues the certificates of completion one business day after the training has been completed. The certificates are available online, and then can be printed and mailed into the state agency’s Certification Office.

If DESE has verification the candidates have received training and they passed a background check, the department can issue a certification in about 1-2 business days, depending on the volume the certification team is handling.

The cost for the full set of courses required to meet certification is $175. The program is available on the Missouri Department Elementary and Secondary Education’s website.

State says bogus letter spreading online claims Missouri students must repeat grade

April 2, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) says a fake letter is circulating on Facebook. The letter claims the state agency will not allow K-12 students to move on to the next grade level for the 2020-21 school year, since the coronavirus closed schools and cancelled statewide tests. The bogus letter, dated April Fool’s Day, illegally uses the Department’s logo, alleges case law and is signed by “Candice B. Furreal”.

Courtesy of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Facebook page

DESE Spokesperson Mallory McGowin says some people thought the prank was true.

“We at the Department feel like we have tried to make clear from the start that we do not want our students across the state to be negatively impacted any more than they already are because of COVID-19,” says McGowin. “We’re obviously are disappointed that someone has chosen to use their free time in this way to create the document, to use our logo illegally and ultimately and most importantly make light of what we consider a really serious situation and that is our students’ education. We feel like it’s pretty insensitive, given the current situation our students and families and educators are already facing so much anxiety and uncertainty right now.”

McGowin says Missouri is not alone.

“We’ve seen this taking place in Michigan, in California and Utah,” she says.

She says the origin of the post is not being retraced at this time.

“So many agencies right now are dealing with so many more important things,” McGowin says. “We really don’t want to give these folks more credit than they’re due or more time and energy than they’re due.”

McGowin urges educators, families and students to check the department’s website for the latest accurate information.