The number of U.S. college students pursuing education degrees has dropped dramatically in the past few decades. In Missouri, there’s been a 25% to 30% decline in the number of college graduates who go through the process of becoming certified to teach.
The Teach & Lead program at Ritenour High School in Breckenridge Hills aims to reverse that trend by providing education training and mentorship to high schoolers. Program leaders hope it cultivates a new pipeline of talent for the region, especially as participants return to local school districts as teachers once they graduate from college.
2023 Missouri Teacher of the Year Christina Andrade Melly went to Ritenour High long before Teach & Lead started. But as someone who grew up in the district, she exemplifies the program’s goals: Andrade Melly now teaches English and language arts at the high school she graduated from.
“The roots that I have in the community now started when I was younger,” Andrade Melly said. “I came back to this specific district for a reason, and that's the people. Even with those bigger issues — the societal challenges around education — I'm really fortunate that in Ritenour, I'm surrounded by great people — colleagues who lift me up, students who are right there with me, administration, a school board [that’s] really supportive of teachers. The community around me gives me so much hope.”
On Saturday, Andrade Melly and several Ritenour students traveled to Washington, D.C., for a back-to-school event at the White House. They participated in a new East Wing installation about student and teacher expectations for the new school year. The exhibit will be part of the public tour route of the White House through mid-September.
“Seeing the chalkboard that they had, with little apple sticky notes of all of the things that people are hopeful and optimistic about for the year — I think I'm bringing back that sense of solidarity and sort of that sense of honor,” Andrade Melly said. “All of the people there were teachers and students, and I think that's a message — that teachers and students deserve to be in the White House and deserve to have this special invitation. That when we're elevating our educators, they can then elevate our students.”
Andrade Melly and Ritenour High School sophomore and Teach & Lead participant, Ryland Weeks, joined St. Louis on the Air to discuss their trip to D.C. and their passion for education. Hear the conversation on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast, or by clicking the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Ulaa Kuziez is our production intern. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
