Missouri State Teachers Association represents teachers across the state. This organization fights for better policies and fair practices. The Southwest region recently had an open seat. First year Shell Knob Kindergarten teacher Dean Ferguson decided to run for the position and he won. Mr. Ferguson recently gave us a little insight on this new chapter of his public education career:
Why get involved?
I ran for the position because ALL teachers deserve to have a voice in decisions being made that impact their day to day life and their job. Every teacher across the region needs someone to be their voice when it comes to Educational Policies and procedures! I was able to join MSTA (Missouri State Teachers Association) as a member and then run for the open position on the Board of Directors.
How did you get involved in this organization?
Getting involved with MSTA was how I heard of the open position on the Board of Directors. Some of the current members were teachers I had taught with previously and when they heard I returned to public education, they reached out and said I would be a great addition to the Board of Directors!
What did this new position entail?
Representing Southwest Region on the Board of Directors will entail meetings where the Board of Directors will discuss various topics including what we feel should be supported or not supported at the State Level, how can we be serve the teachers and staff of Southwest Missouri, how we can make a lasting impact on the lives of teachers and students that we serve. This will also entail attending a Convention in Columbia, MO where all regional Board of Directors will meet to change, create and develop bi-laws that state exactly what MSTA supports and opposes and what we want to support in the upcoming elections for our state. In addition to those great events, there are a couple more including Capital Day in Jefferson City and Leadership Academy in the Summer where we will learn how to better support and lead for our teachers in our region and make sure they are feeling supported!
What are your hopes for the future?
My hopes for the future include serving in various capacities on the Board of Directors including President, Vice President and eventually becoming the State President for MSTA. It is way more than that though because I want to make changes in Education and make Missouri the greatest state for Education to better serve our teachers, students, and families. Serving as the Member at Large is a step in the right direction and I am looking forward to many more years to come!
How long will you serve?
My term is a 3 year term unless I run for an open position on the Board of Directors which might become available before that, and then I would serve in that capacity and my Member at Large position would be available.
Mr. Ferguson began his public education career in Monett where he taught for six years, teaching fifth grade and Kindergarten. Later, he was the Director at Shell Knob Noah’s Ark Daycare for four years. Shell Knob School is very proud to have Mr. Ferguson represent area teachers and be the voice that makes a difference.