Missouri Republican lawmaker tapped to oversee K-12 education in the state

Kacen Bayless
·2 min read

The Missouri State Board of Education on Tuesday tapped a Republican state senator to serve as the next commissioner for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

State Sen. Karla Eslinger, a Republican from Wasola in the southern part of the state, will start in the position in June after the end of this year’s legislative session. She will replace Margie Vandeven, the former commissioner who announced in October that she would be stepping down after two stints totaling more than seven years.

Eslinger, in a statement, said her passion for education was the result of her childhood where the one constant in her life was school as he family faced poverty and moved a lot.

“I’m certain my future would look very different if not for my public school education,” she said. “Children across Missouri depend on our schools in this same way, and I look forward to ensuring every child in our state receives the quality educational opportunities they deserve.”

The commissioner serves as the top executive of the state’s education department, overseeing the public education system. The state board of education is in charge of appointing the commissioner. Eslinger’s appointment comes at a crucial time as teacher pay and retention remain top issues in the state. Public school content has also been a flash point among conservatives in recent years as Republicans challenge race-based and LGBTQ lessons.

Eslinger, first elected to the General Assembly in 2018, has a lengthy history in education, previously serving as an elementary school teacher and later a superintendent. She has degrees from The College of the Ozarks and Missouri State University and a doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia, according to her legislative bio.

The Republican senator has previously filed legislation that would create an American patriotism education program. She also successfully sponsored legislation that relaxed the rules surrounding how people can obtain treatment from physical therapists.