The Missouri Commissioner of Education Dr. Karla Eslinger and three state board members visited MHS today along with Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain and members of his cabinet.
Mary LaPak, district chief communications officer said this event is a special opportunity to present the district to important leaders.
“We thought we’d showcase Marquette High School and some of the great classes that we offer,” LaPak said. “They also asked us to talk about our mental health supports that we have in place for students.”
LaPak said presenting this information will shine a light on the district for statewide officials.
“We were just ranked the third best district in the state by Niche.com. People come to expect that we’re doing great things, so we love to highlight all of those wonderful opportunities that we provide for our students,” Lapak said.
The event included a presentation on various programs, the district’s strategic plan, culture and climate, evidence of success, and key initiatives in the district as well as a tour of the school.
“It’s an opportunity for the new commissioner of education to get to know Rockwood, to know what we’re proud of, to showcase one of our awesome schools,” Principal Dr. Tracey Waeckerle said. “It’s a way to increase communication, transparency, and of course, building relationships with the various people that support education throughout the state.”
Olivia Ellington, sophomore, said students might feel special due to their school being visited and toured.
“I think it’s good that they’re kinda getting a hands-on perspective to what’s happening at the school,” Ellington said.
Colin Brookhyser, senior, is a student adviser to the Board of Education and met with the board once last school year and this past September to provide feedback on district policy and to represent students’ concerns in areas like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the phone policy.
Brookhyser said it’s important that state officials are informed about the district.
“I think Rockwood’s a school district that’s doing it right,” Brookhyser said. “If we can show officials how successful we’ve been, maybe we can spread that opportunity elsewhere.”
Brookhyser said the tour will enable state officials to see the structure of classrooms.
“Our classrooms are very hands-on for the most part,” Brookhyser said. “Maybe they’ll take that and apply that to other schools and alter curriculums to give students more opportunities to lead the class rather than observe it.”
