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Blue Springs R-IV School District educators in the most recent education specialist cohort pose for a group photo
before the UCM Spring 2025 Commencement ceremony in the Hughes Athletics Center.

 

As another school year begins, 51 Blue Springs R-IV School District educators are returning with new knowledge and training 鈥� and a degree from the University of Central Missouri (UCM).

A growing partnership between UCM and the Blue Springs School District (BSSD) allows teachers to earn advanced degrees while staying close to home. It began a few years ago with an education specialist cohort focused on behavioral management. After BSSD completed a salary restructure, the district saw an increase in the number of teachers interested in pursuing education specialist degrees and now offers three pathways to do so. 

 

鈥淲e really value this partnership. It鈥檚 exciting to know we鈥檙e all in this together,鈥� said Liz Talamantez, assistant superintendent of Human Resources for the . 鈥淎t the end of the day, we want to help our teachers be the best practitioners they can be, and the fact that it鈥檚 important to UCM means a lot to our district.鈥�

The 51 educators were part of the most recent education specialist cohort, which graduated in Spring and Summer 2025. UCM offered two hybrid classes per semester at BSSD, and the cohort鈥檚 courses were taught by UCM faculty and BSSD adjunct instructors.

Each cohort member researched and wrote a thesis, which they presented during a UCM Thesis Consortium this spring at Blue Springs High School, an event similar to a school science fair. The educators chose topics of importance to them and their role, meaning the data will also benefit the district.

 

鈥淥ur district wants to hire the best teachers we can find, but also help them continue to grow. There鈥檚 no mountaintop 鈥� student needs change, curriculum changes, the world is changing,鈥� Talamantez said. 鈥淭he mindset of growth and professional development is important to us. Those are the resilient educators who will make a difference in today鈥檚 classroom.鈥�

Blue Springs School District educators in the UCM education specialist cohort participate in the
UCM Thesis Consortium this spring at Blue Springs High School.

 

A Program Made for Teachers

The partnership allows UCM and BSSD to tailor the program to the needs of Blue Springs educators. 

Instructors collaborate on assignment due dates to ensure they don鈥檛 overlap or conflict with important Blue Springs events, such as spring break or parent-teacher conferences. Talamantez said the Blue Springs educators can connect what they鈥檙e learning in the classroom at night to what they鈥檙e teaching in the classroom during the day, as instructors also look at how the courses impact the district鈥檚 curriculum and goals.

 

鈥淲e鈥檝e structured it based on what the district feels they need,鈥� explained Michelle Conrad, Ph.D., associate professor and graduate coordinator of Career and Technical Education at UCM. 鈥淭his cohort focused on leadership, literacy and curriculum. The next cohort is shifting to curriculum and instruction based on what they want to provide their staff. Behavior management has been a big one since COVID.鈥�

The cohort starting this fall will also have the option of a master鈥檚 degree or an education specialist degree.

Talamantez said the UCM partnership has been both a recruitment and retention tool for the district. Those enrolled have committed to a two-year program where they build connections, share ideas and continue their growth as BSSD educators. Some candidates ask about the program during the hiring process because they already know about the opportunity. 

 

鈥淕oing back to school can feel unattainable at times. It鈥檚 hard to go to school and work full-time,鈥� she continued. 鈥淭his feels rigorous but also manageable.鈥�

One of the UCM College of Education鈥檚 goals is to serve its partners. Conrad said the partnership with BSSD is an example of that service and that UCM is exploring how to partner with more Missouri school districts on similar programs.

Bringing UCM to Blue Springs

Katie White, a BSSD instructional coach for middle school English, is a three-time graduate of UCM and earned her master鈥檚 and education specialist degrees through a BSSD-UCM partnership program. 

When joining the most recent cohort, she said the program鈥檚 accessibility 鈥� bringing the UCM classroom to Blue Springs 鈥� was the initial draw. Once in the program, she appreciated the relationships she gained with teachers across the Blue Springs district.

 

鈥淭he best part is the direct application and immediate impact,鈥� White said. 鈥淲orking in Blue Springs and working with my peers, we can talk about specific programs in the district and then increase that with the knowledge UCM gives. That has been my biggest highlight through the experience.

鈥淚t鈥檚 also practical overall. Doing the research is also very intrinsic and you have to be self-motivated, but it鈥檚 practical because the work sessions are at a place I already call home. When I felt stuck, there were plenty of experts from Blue Springs and UCM I could lean on.鈥�

White was selected as a student speaker for one of the Spring 2025 commencement ceremonies, and her speech embodied the partnership鈥檚 purpose: "Embrace the mentality of a forever learner, not just as an academic pursuit but as a way of living."

For more information about UCM College of Education programs, visit ucmo.edu/coe.

 

Katie White addresses the crowd during her speech at the UCM Spring 2025 Commencement ceremony.