Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals

10/25/2026

“Public school teachers are no-matter-what teachers.”
-Sarah Steffens, Missouri Teacher of the Year

10/17/2026

A few celebratory moments from the NAESP National Distinguished Principals Awards Gala. Congrats to Dr. Ta’Keshia Parker representing Missouri, Zone 8 Principals, & all those celebrated!

10/15/2026

Our own Ta’Keshia Parker, Missouri’s 2026 National Distinguished Principal, shared her leadership message with fellow Distinguished Principals from across the country today.

As we celebrate National Principals Month, take two minutes to hear her words and reflect on the difference great principals make in the lives of students, staff, and school communities.

Congratulations, Ta’Keshia! Missouri is proud of you and the leadership you represent.

10/14/2026

Remembering Faye Peters | A Legacy of Leadership and Service

This week, MAESP remembers and honors former Executive Director Faye Peters, who passed away on Monday, October 12.

Faye dedicated an extraordinary 51 years to Missouri education, beginning as a classroom teacher in Windyville and Halfway, Missouri, before serving 24 years as principal of Halfway Elementary School.

In 1993, just one day after retiring from public education, Faye began a new chapter as MAESP’s Associate Executive Director. She became Executive Director in 2000 and continued serving until her retirement in 2013. During those 20 years, she helped strengthen MAESP through advocacy, professional learning, partnerships, and a deep commitment to Missouri’s elementary and middle-level principals.

Among her many accomplishments, Faye helped turn the vision of a permanent home for MAESP and MCSA into reality. The MCSA Education Center, established in Jefferson City in 2005, remains a place where school leaders gather, learn, and connect.

The lasting measure of leadership is not simply what we accomplish while serving, but what we leave in place for others to build upon.

Faye understood that. Her influence continues through the association she helped shape and the countless students, educators, and school leaders who benefited from her service. Many of today’s MAESP members may not have known Faye personally, but they continue to benefit from the foundation she helped build.

On behalf of MAESP, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Faye’s family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Service Information:
Saturday, October 17
Canton-Otterness Funeral Home | Buffalo, MO
Visitation: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Funeral Service: 12:00 p.m.

Thank you, Faye, for a lifetime of service, leadership, and dedication to Missouri education. You helped build MAESP strong. Your legacy lives on. ❤️

10/12/2026

Congrats to all, including a home state shout out to Dr. Ta’Keshia Parker!

10/03/2026

A great day of learning and connection at the Southeast MAESP Aspiring Principals Workshop!

Future school leaders spent the day asking questions, sharing ideas, and learning from incredible & experienced leaders (thanks Debbie Lands & Nanya Gegg!)

Through connection, conversation, and people willing to pour into others, we are investing in the next generation of school leaders.

10/02/2026

09/24/2026

Public education is a state responsibility, carried out every day in local communities. Missouri’s local schools, taxpayers, educators, and leaders continue to do their part, yet our state continues to rank near the bottom nationally in its investment in public education. That matters, particularly as we ask more of schools, educators, and students. We cannot have a serious conversation about stronger outcomes and greater accountability without also having a serious conversation about the state’s responsibility to adequately support the schools charged with delivering them. This article offers an important perspective on that responsibility and the growing burden being carried at the local level.

https://missouriindependent.com/2026/09/24/local-taxpayers-kept-their-promise-missouri-must-keep-its-too/?fbclid=IwVERDUAUikYpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mBWZkaWQWUPDH6uvbHLtpTE_-pC3gDdrwPviYwHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7zbW2lBpB0upEsUAG07u6llxiOBVyK68hBzYrVKlIoFiCGCd-8rfTPcHfv-w_aem_vt6v0gaoJFj_q2wlepHJDQ

Kansas City’s Muehlebach Hotel hosted every president from Theodore Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan. Harry Truman ran much of his political operation from the penthouse suite. It’s where he signed the Truman Doctrine in 1947 and awaited election results in 1948. Once referred to as White House West, ...

09/23/2026

This deserves recognition.

Public education should not be a partisan issue. It is a community issue, a workforce issue, and—most importantly—a commitment we make to our kids.

I appreciate Greg Sharpe, Phil Fox, Keith Gudehus, Roth McElvain, and Jeremy Mosley for publicly acknowledging something school leaders across Missouri have been saying for some time:

“We can’t expect more of schools while denying them the basic resources defined by law.”

Those words matter.

Our public schools are asked to do more every year. We educate students, provide meals, support mental health, prepare a workforce, offer extracurricular opportunities, serve as community gathering places, and meet an ever-growing list of state requirements. At the same time, school districts must be able to count on the state meeting the funding commitments established in law.

I especially appreciate these northern Missouri candidates being willing to put their names behind this statement. Regardless of party or politics, when someone seeking public office speaks clearly about the importance of adequately supporting public schools, I believe that deserves to be acknowledged.

Now comes the important part: making sure those words are reflected in the decisions made in Jefferson City.

Thank you for recognizing the value of Missouri’s public schools and the communities that depend on them.

09/19/2026

With the Missouri State Board of Education is NOT recommending full funding of local schools in their next budget request, leaving schools $300 million under what's needed, it reminds us of how low MO is compared to other states. In nearly every indicator, we fall behind most other states. This is only the beginning of what will be really horrible budget cuts due to tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy.