The following was submitted as part of the CASE Dean’s February 2026 Newsletter.

Missouri S&T has been preparing classroom teachers since 2010, laying a strong foundation well before the formal establishment of the education department in 2018. Today, 97 S&T graduates are teaching in Missouri public schools across the state—from Webster Groves to Nixa to Park Hill—demonstrating the program’s statewide impact.

Experiential learning is central to the department’s mission. Beginning in their second semester, education majors are placed in K–12 classrooms or at S&T’s on-campus Child Development Center, where they work directly with children. Students also design and lead lessons for K–12 field trip days hosted by the Kummer Center for STEM Education and contribute to the center’s afterschool program, Miners in the Making. These layered clinical experiences ensure that graduates enter the profession with substantial, practical classroom expertise.

A full-time academic advisor supports students in navigating certification pathways, including those who already hold degrees or are currently working as paraprofessionals or substitute teachers. Faculty also actively support student-athletes in the program, many of whom aspire to both teach and coach. Through close collaboration with departments across the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education (CASE), the department prepares future high school teachers who earn degrees in their academic content areas with an added emphasis in education.

The curriculum incorporates professional training that many educators do not encounter until they are already in the classroom. Multiple faculty members have completed nationally recognized certifications and embedded that training into coursework. Dr. Mary Gillis is a certified Cognitive Coach. Professor Julia Alexander is a LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) trainer. Dr. Beth Kania-Gosche and Dr. Mary Gillis are certified Youth Mental Health First Aid trainers, and Dr. Michelle Schwartze prepares preservice teachers in the Project Lead the Way Launch elementary curriculum. Faculty also collaborate closely with the on-campus South Central Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC), which provides professional learning to thousands of educators annually.

The department has placed particular emphasis on evidence-based reading instruction. Its elementary education program recently received national recognition from the International Literacy Association—one of only 20 programs in the country to earn this distinction.

Education faculty are also recognized for excellence in teaching and outreach. Dr. Michelle Schwartze serves as a CAFE Faculty Fellow and has led a pilot mentoring program for new faculty. Dr. Jeff Chalfant, a shared faculty member with 4-H Extension, advances STEM education statewide through outreach events that reach thousands of K–12 students. He has also developed STEM modules for middle school day camps, supported by a Clare Boothe Luce Program grant submitted in collaboration with Dr. Kate Drowne and other education faculty. The department maintains an active grant portfolio; most recently, the Child Development Center received a Quality PreK grant from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, providing free preschool for 20 four- and five-year-olds.

Through the generosity of donors, education students are not charged additional fees for licensure exams, fingerprinting, or certification. Donor support also offsets mileage costs associated with student teaching placements, reducing financial barriers and enabling future educators to focus on their professional preparation.