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!

Wait, @annelamott.bsky.social is on Bluesky? THANK YOU for everything you did to write "Bird By Bird!" I have more than 20 years of experience telling reporters and D&D DMs how important this book is!

My mom either bought me my first copy of this book or recommended it to me way back in the olden times, because of my writing and my ADHD. I've loved it ever since. Thanks, Mom!

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.

MSU archaeologists find their suspected structures in Amazon expedition, and much more - Springfield Daily Citizen Two MSU archaeologists return from an Amazon expedition having found evidence of a settlement hidden underneath the canopy of trees.

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.

A Springfield high school, that is. Apologies for the goof above!

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."