'True champion of Missouri' Peter Herschend exits state school board after 33 years

For 33 years, Peter Herschend helped steer the direction of public education in Missouri, pushing for changes that impacted students from rural farming communities to large metropolitan cities.

His lengthy tenure on the state Board of Education is unlikely to be repeated.

Appointed in 1991 by then-Gov. John Ashcroft, Herschend served on the governing body through eight governors — surviving a brief ouster by one for part of 2017 and 2018 — and four of the state's Commissioners of Education.

"I hope the general public understands how lucky and fortunate the state has been to have someone like Peter in this role for such a (long) time. It is not usual and I doubt we will see that again," said Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven.

"We all know that Peter is a very, very successful person in lots of different ways and I genuinely believe he wants to make sure that every child in this state has that opportunity for success."

The founder and co-owner of Herschend Family Entertainment Corp. — which owns Silver Dollar City among other entertainment properties — has worked on tourism efforts at the state level but called the Board of Education the "best public service job I've ever had."

"This is the place I can make a difference, a real long-term difference, in the lives of our kids," he said.

Herschend's contributions have been vast but his primary focus was on boosting literacy skills, improving access to early childhood education and figuring out a way to measure student learning and progress in a meaningful way.

“Peter is a true champion of Missouri who always works to do right by our state and people. We have greatly appreciated Peter's service to the people of Missouri and his commitment to their children's education over the past three decades," said Gov. Mike Parson, who called Herschend a friend.

"Whenever our state is in need, he puts politics aside and always comes to the table with ideas, optimism, and a level of persistence that is rarely seen in others. In turn, our state has prospered thanks to his vision, patience, and support for good people and causes."

Late this spring, as the school year was coming to a close, Herschend stepped off the state board. His handpicked successor, Springfield's Tom Prater, is expected to be appointed by the governor in June.

"Peter has worked hard to make Missouri a better place. He realized early that education is the best engine for economic development, provides a road out of poverty for many and improves our quality of life," said Prater, an eye surgeon and former Springfield school board president. "Peter's long tenure on the state board proves he delivered on his vision. His influence will be felt for a long time."

'Create new realities for families'

Herschend, 89, agreed to sit down with the News-Leader at his Hollister home to reflect on his state board service, which followed a 12-year stint on the Branson school board.

He and his late wife JoDee have five children and got involved in the local governing board after one of them was injured during a track meet at Branson High School. He wanted to get a new rubberized track surface installed so no other student got hurt.

"I went to the board and said 'If I raise the necessary money, will you put the track in?' and they kind of laughed and said 'of course,' thinking I wouldn't do it. It was about $85,000, a fair amount of money in the mid-1970s," he said. "I went to work and I raised $100,000 and presented it to the Branson board and they did what they said."

In the process, Herschend observed how the school board functioned and felt he could make a difference.

"I said 'I'd like to run for the board, maybe I can do some good,' and I got elected," he recalled. "And that was the start of the story."

Anne McGregor, chair of the Herschend Family’s philanthropic investment arm, the Neighbor Company, said her father viewed education as a way to move students "out of poverty into a different future."

"He has been able to impact lives generationally, to break cycles and to create new realities for families," she said.

McGregor said her father believes that in order to lead, one must serve. She said his career and public service is built on a formula of "challenging, listening, paying attention, and thinking differently."

She said there is nothing in his background that suggested the outsized role he would play in public education. "I don't think he found it. I think it found him."

"He's a marketer at heart. He loves the challenge of helping people consider new options and doing it in a way that it is their idea," she said.

McGregor said her father excels at brainstorming and it is not unusual for him to propose a "crazy idea" that seems impossible to execute.

"He moved the needle a number of times just by inviting others to join in a big, bold, hairy, audacious idea that he had," she said. "And it became not his idea, but their idea, and that is that dream of a marketer: that no one knows where it started."

'Balance of strength and humility'

Appointed to the state board, Herschend said he immediately grasped the impact that governing body can have on classrooms across Missouri.

"The (state) Constitution gave it really great power and it needed leadership, not by me alone. There are eight of us, one person can't do it," he said. "It is a position that calls for strategic leadership because very little of the work is operational."

Early on, Herschend saw a need for the state to set more definitive expectations. He was also alarmed at the lack of measures in place to determine if students were acquiring the necessary skills and making adequate progress.

"We didn't hold schools accountable for results and that, to me, is the heart of what a board should be doing," he said, "What we didn't have ... was any system for judging the academic results of a given school, none."

The Missouri School Improvement Program, or MSIP, has been overhauled at least six times, in an effort to sharpen the measures and encourage ongoing growth for schools. It is also used to determine the state accreditation level for each district.

Herschend said the launch of the initial MSIP framework coincided with his first year on the state board. He said the new system prompted "howls of protest" from districts. He said the first system was highly imperfect but it has been improved over the decades.

"It's like a swim team practicing, you get better and better. New standards are set and how we measure changes. The effort is to meaningfully measure how students are doing in a way that is helpful and not just a gotcha," he said.

He is most proud of work the state board has done to improve literacy, including a new reading initiative, and to expand access and funding for early childhood education. For the third year, the Missouri General Assembly has approved a budget that will reimburse districts for the preschool students they serve.

"I am absolutely sold on the impact of early childhood education on a child's ability to perform well in school and, statistics are bearing out, to perform well in life," he said.

Vandeven, an educator since 1990, joined the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2005 and was first appointed commissioner in 2015.

She said Herschend, who has served as state board president, serves with a "great balance of strength and humility."

"He has great passion about the priorities that have been established. He has great vision about early learning, early literacy," she said. "It's just amazing to see him remain on topic with those two priority areas for the time that he has and now seeing all of that really coming to fruition is exciting."

More: Missouri school board approves strategic plan, aims to hit these goals by 2026

'Ask the right questions'

At age 89, Herschend said it was time to cycle off the state board but he plans to keep working to improve Missouri public schools.

"I believe there is value in bringing new brains on the board," he said. "And Dr. Tom Prater, who will succeed me, is an excellent follow-up."

Herschend, who is married to wife Jan, said it's not enough for a a board member to have a heart for students. They must also be able to work with others and be strategic.

"Good boardsmanship is the ability to hold specific objectives in your mind and for the board to never lose focus on them, and to be a very good listener," he said. "A really good board member doesn't have to say much. But he or she has to ask the right questions."

Branson Superintendent Brad Swofford said Herschend has "always had a listening ear to local education agencies" in addition to looking at the big picture.

"He always thought about how can we make education better in the state of Missouri and improve the situation for our students," Swofford said.

Asked about Herschend's longevity, Swofford said it showed his commitment for doing the hard work. "When you talk with him, you always feel that passion has never left. And I doubt it has left now."

Mike Jones, a former state board member from St. Louis, described Herschend as the "center or equilibrium" of the state board, saying he developed deep relationships with others. Jones said he was "the most impactful person I've ever seen in any public space over an extended period of time."

Jones, who served on the state board from 2011 to 2020, said the two had vastly different backgrounds and were not aligned politically but developed a "remarkable" relationship.

"He's one of the rare people I've met in public life that actually meant what he said when he said 'I am doing this on behalf of the children,'" Jones said. "That is what I meant about him being the moral center. That really became the ethos of the board."

Vandeven, who will step down this summer, said Herschend's children have repeatedly said their father taught them to think about life in three acts. The first is for learning, the second is for doing what you learned, and the last is for teaching others to do the work.

"He has just been a mentor to so many on what it means to serve and what it means to push the expectations to the next level," she said. "It's been a real gift to have him on the board."

Who will replace Peter Herschend?

The Missouri Constitution gave the state Board of Education general authority for public education, with limits set by the General Assembly. There can be up to eight members, who are appointed by the governor. They must be confirmed by the state Senate.

No more than four members can belong to the same political party. No more than one member can reside in the same county or congressional district. They serve staggered, eight-year terms and may continue to serve until they are replaced or reappointed.

In mid-April, Gov. Mike Parson appointed Tom Prater, an eye surgeon from Springfield, to succeed Peter Herschend. Tawni Hunt Ferrarini, of St. Charles, will succeed Donald Claycomb, of Linn.

Parson pulled the appointments when it was apparent the confirmation process was unlikely to happen before the end of a packed legislative session, preserving his ability to place Prater and Ferrarini as interim appointments to be confirmed at the start of the 2025 session.

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Springfield Superintendent Grenita Lathan said southwest Missouri benefited from a stellar representative on the state board. "We deeply appreciate Mr. Herschend’s years of service as an advocate for public education, and as he departs the board, we thank him for that steadfast commitment."

Lathan said she looks forward to what Prater, a graduate of Glendale High School, will accomplish in the role. He served on the Springfield City Council after six years on the school board, including two as president. He has also been active in other ways.

"Dr. Prater was instrumental in the successful passing of two significant funding proposals, which helped improve facilities and hire more teachers. His efforts beyond the school board, including the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools and helping create the SPS Hall of Fame, have further highlighted public education and SPS," Lathan said.

"We are pleased that Dr. Prater’s wisdom and collaborative spirit will now benefit public education on a larger scale throughout the state of Missouri.”

The board members

Currently, there are six members serving on the Missouri Board of Education since Peter Herschend, of Branson, and Donald Claycomb, of Linn, have cycled off. Here are details:

• Charlie Shields, of St. Joseph was appointed in 2012 and became president in 2015. A former state lawmaker, he is president and CEO of Truman Medical Centers. He is still president;

• Carol Hallquist, of Kansas City, was appointed in 2018 and serves as vice president. The retired president of the Hallmark Corporation Foundation with Hallmark Cards, Inc., she is the founder of a nonprofit that matches retired business professional volunteers with urban school principals. Her term expired in 2022;

• Kimberley Bailey, Raymore, was appointed in 2018 after serving as president of the Raymore-Peculiar school board. She is a licensed mental health professional and trauma specialist. Her term expires in 2025;

• Kerry Casey, Chesterfield, was appointed in 2021 and serves as vice president of Exegy, a global leader in financial market data, trading platforms, and predictive signals. Her term expires in 2027;

• Mary Schrag, West Plains, was appointed in 2019. She is owner and CEO of Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic, Inc. in West Plains. She serves as project director for SOARHigh, an ongoing project that works with students in the areas of nutrition, physical education and social-emotional wellness. She served on the Missouri State University Board of Governors. Her term expires in 2024;

• Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, Pasadena Hills, was appointed in 2020. She works for Edward Jones, leading Information Systems Audit. Her term expires in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Peter Herschend leaves Missouri's state school board after 33 years