After leaving his previous post, Doug Van Zyl was a finalist for a superintendent's job in Loveland, Colorado. (My sources tell me it's pronounced "Z-eye-ll," rhyming with "while.")

"Teachers are leaving SPS in droves." I can't tell you how many times I've hear people say that in casual conversation. While teaching is a hard profession that has gotten more challenging over the last few years, state statistics of SPS' employment picture show that retention is improving.

My BlackBerry loving heart can't believe these wondrous times in which we live. TWO viable keyboard phones are due out this year!

Are we still doing shelfies? Just me? Cool! A friend reminded me of Anne Lamott's "Bird By Bird," and it's been on my writing bookshelf the longest. I really needed her chapter on radio station KFKD today!

Pending the board's approval, the memory lab would offer a variety of technical equipment for converting media into digital resources. The project resonated with the Lipscombs because of how much the lab's namesake valued historic preservation.

It's impressive to hear Nixa Public Schools students talk about all the prep work they are putting in for this tournament.

Man, am I excited for achaeologists Daniel Pierce and Christopher Bodine, after the discoveries they made in the Amazon! The two will be publishing their findings in scientific journals in a few months, and will then start raising money to fund a return trip.

The more I learn about Arthur Mallory, the more I regret not finding the chance to talk to him. Education had a strong advocate and an effective mentor in Mallory, and his legacy will be felt for years across the country. Grateful to the people who talked to me for this report.

The loss of a full week for Thanksgiving comes from how the school year will have a later start, thanks to a Missouri law that governs when a school district can set the first day.

This is a plate with cashew chicken, McSalty's Pizza, candied bacon, pickles and more of Brent Dunn's favorite food. The director of the Missouri State University Foundation was surprised today with a naming gift. Story coming later today in the @sgfcitizen.bsky.social.

The district marks three consecutive years of improvement under the newest version of the state's school improvement system, and four consecutive years between them. The report card also points out what SPS officials think is their best graduation rate in about two decades.

While I was at this celebration, I asked some parents how they felt about a district-wide committee's recommendation to change Wilson's Creek from a 5-6 intermediate school to a 6-8 middle school. The opinions were mixed.

The cum laude system will trade the competition of honoring the top 15% of graduates with a merit-based system that rewards a student's work.

Ava Smith was an avid user of the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library, checking out books, using meeting rooms for her clubs and using its computers. Her generosity will be remembered in a spot that will be the library district's highest-profile meeting space.

This is still a developing story; I'm waiting to hear back from Springfield Public Schools officials. The Glendale chapter is one of the only chapters in a high school, according to Turning Point USA's website.

All the funding for what is Missouri State's biggest building project came from state and federal sources. Students and professors love the new building's modern, spacious labs, and this is only the completion of the first of two construction phases.

If you make a video with a question and tell me to read the comments for the answer, I assure you I will not read the comments

Hilarious teacher TikToks aside, there is not a lot of training available for teachers on how to spot the use of AI. But educators say that the toolbox for how a teacher follows a student's progress is more than up for the task.

The expedition's main goal is to figure out whether the geoglyphs they have found are either structures or trenches. Either way, they had to have been made by humans, and that could help redefine what we know about pre-Columbian societies, the archaeologists say.

I took this selfie seconds before Kamara scored the team's first TD of the season, so hey! Off to a good start, I guess! A rowdy, rousing Who Dat for all who celebrate! ⚜️

The Springfield Clinical Campus already houses third- and fourth-year students for clinical experience, after taking their first two years in Columbia. The expansion means a student never has to leave Springfield to earn an M.D.

This is a big year for Central, as they return to field competitions for the first time in years. The lack of football games took away rehearsals of their show in front of live audiences.

The university's department for legal affairs has been fielding all sorts of questions from the campus community about immigration enforcement efforts.

Missouri State's official count will happen in September. In advance of that, enrollment officials see likely drops in graduate and international students.

In a message to parents, Principal Duane Cox said the school acted on a tip and intercepted the student as they arrived to school.

Library staff members helped write the featured phrases on the new library cards, then narrow down those ideas into the six displayed on the new cards.

• SPS officials have consistently supported parents' rights to make education decisions that are best for their families. • "We are steadfast supporters of public education, and we believe that for any community to be healthy and vibrant, there must be a strong public school system at the heart."

I'd like to thank KDRU Radio for letting me know that Bria Salmena exists and wrote "Hammer," such an amazing, haunting song. Your students are doing a valuable public service, JGroves!

Alright, y'all, let's argue. "Choose" and "chews": Homonyms or homophones?

Are you on TikTok? I am! Man, do I appreciate Zoe for making me look good, and I'm excited to do more of these!

The dual enrollment change, allowing employees to choose between CoxHealth and Mercy, has been something the district has long pursued. SPS was close last year, but couldn't get costs down enough.

Hughes has been a financial advisor working in Springfield since 1993. She served on the Nixa Fire Protection District's board of directors, and is a member of a Greene County Republican Party committee that supports GOP candidates during elections.

If you ask me how work is going, here's my answer. I'm so grateful that I'm on the @sgfcitizen.bsky.social team, and that I'm a small part of the impact it is making in the community.

The brick campaign is the launch of larger efforts to connect with alumni, which is something the relatively young college hasn't yet developed. People who buy bricks will be invited to a special unveiling event in 2026.

When teaching new players D&D, I've taken an approach to get them rolling dice BEFORE diving into all the character building options or using pre-generated characters. If that process is enhanced with board-game tools in a new starter set, I'm in.

YouTube is showing me ads for Sleep earbuds, and it says "Meet Sleep," but the announcer's tone of voice makes it sound like "Meat Sleep"

Finds a thing TikTok later: "Here is anything but the thing!" Instagram later: "Here is nothing but the thing!"

The position is newly created by Missouri State University to handle something that will be a challenge for universities across the country. The new VP partially replaces Zora Mulligan, who is now the chancellor of the West Plains campus.

Posting for a discussion about grammar, not current events: One of my favorite things about the word "only" is how you can move its position to dramatically change a sentence's definition. I'd argue "only" should be near the end, i.e. "by only months".

They are playing with my heart and it is NOT NICE.

Once installed, the adult changing tables will likely be the first of their kind in Springfield public buildings. Money to place them comes from a property tax for disabled services that voters passed in 1978.

In making the decision, the MSU Board of Governors chose an option that benefitted staff members more than faculty. President Williams said the package helps keep pace with other educational institutions over the last 10 years.

Repairs to the building's elevator kept the library from opening on time, to the point where the contractor triggered deadline penalties. A larger celebration for the 120-year-old building will be scheduled later this year.

Finished "Dungeon Crawler Carl" tonight. The phrase "You will not break me" has new meaning for me now. 💓

The decision to place a $1.8 million surplus in reserves means the library won't have to borrow money through bonds or loans in order to pay its share of construction costs for three COVID-recovery projects. sgfcitizen.org/government/s...

The groundbreaking for Pipkin's new building will happen on a plot of land just a quarter mile away from the old one, which was opened 100 years ago.

Man, entitlement thinking is sneaky. For the longest time I've been frustrated that I can't get a peanut butter and jelly burger in SGF, but it JUST RIGHT NOW OCCURRED TO ME I can make my own PB&J burger, and completely solve my own problem. 🤯

One thing I don't get about narcissists is that there is no good payoff or reward in narcissism. Someone smarter than me reminded me, though: "That's why it's a personality disorder."

Funded mostly through COVID recovery grants, the center is hoped to provide workers for a high-demand industry. Ozarks Tech will open classes in the fall to a cohort of 24, but hopes to open more spots in a few years.

The change is slight: Rules for the previous year gave teachers the ability to grant permission for cellphone use. More information is expected from SPS closer to the start of the school year.