Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Karla Eslinger, who served the past four years as a Missouri state senator, passed on a second term. She began her tenure as commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in June.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is weeks behind in paying subsidies for child care centers and families. Centers already were facing financial issues.

The backlog, which has left daycare providers on the brink of closure, was originally supposed to be resolved by the end of July.

Some Missouri day care centers have been forced to shutter as state subsidy payments remain backlogged due to glitches in a new system.

Margie Vandeven, who leaves the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at the end of the month, discusses enduring problems and bright futures within Missouri’s K-12 education system.

Attorneys from the Education Justice Program and parents allege the special district isn’t doing enough to provide disability students with mental health issues the proper programs and assistance.

A wide-ranging education bill signed by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson last week will further press a reduced education budget with mandated lunch for preschoolers and items causing anxiety about the future.

Community members, educators and activists in north St. Louis are protesting the opening of Believe St. Louis Academy — a charter school supported by Opportunity Trust. They say opening charter schools reduces funding from St. Louis Public Schools and leads to further teacher layoffs.

The board says it was not given proper notice in the charter school’s application process.

Missouri’s state board of education decided to provide schools with optional guidelines on social-emotional learning to help them cope with worsening student behavior. Commissioners are concerned about potential political pushback to the learning standards, which have been criticized by conservatives.