Three of this year's 'Pioneers in Education' honorees hail from southwest Missouri
Of the six Missouri educators to be honored Aug. 1 as 2022 Pioneers in Education, half have ties to the Springfield area.
The six educators, and their contributions to public schools, will be spotlighted during the 61st annual Cooperative Conference for School Administrators.
“These individuals are true champions of public education, striving for excellence and advocating for Missouri students throughout their careers as public servants,” said Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven, in a release.
Vandeven said the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is honored to "recognize the trailblazing efforts" of these individuals.
The honorees with ties to the Ozarks include:
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt
Ronald Lankford
Julie Leeth
The others are J.J. Bullington, Charles Brown and O. Victor Lenz Jr.
Roy Blunt
Blunt, who is retiring from public service, started out in Niangua. He first worked as a classroom teacher before serving the state of Missouri in Washington, D.C. as both a representative and, most recently, a senator for 24 years.
Blunt oversaw increases in federal spending on education programs and grants. He helped double funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant and increased funding for Head Start programs.
According to a release, he has advocated for programs that provide more flexibility for parents, teachers, and administrators. He also supported the expansion of public charter schools.
Ron Lankford
Lankford, of Webb City, lived and worked in the same school district for 45 of his 48 years in education. He was an assistant high school principal in the East Newton district prior to joining the Webb City district, where he retired as superintendent in 2010.
As superintendent, Lankford oversaw 13 bond and levy ballot measures to better serve Webb City students, started a local scholarship program to receive and distribute local donations to graduates, led an effort to form what was named the Southwest Center for Educational Excellence, and worked with Crowder College to secure a campus site in Jasper County.
After retiring from Webb City, Lankford served as Deputy Commissioner of Financial and Administrative Services at DESE.
Julie Leeth
Leeth, of Springfield, served Springfield Public Schools for 30 years as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and chief education officer.
After retiring from SPS, Leeth launched a second career with Community Foundation of the Ozarks, where she coordinated and led a concerted effort to build long-term assets for public schools.
In 2009, she helped establish the Rural Schools Partnership to build education funds and foundations across the region. A year later, the partnership launched the Ozarks Teacher Corps, a scholarship and professional development program for college students who are intent on becoming exemplary rural educators.
The corps has placed over 120 teachers in rural schools.
J.J. Bullington
Bullington spent most her life and her entire career in the Caruthersville School District, serving the district for more than 40 years.
As superintendent, Bullington oversaw design and reconstruction in the district after an F-3 tornado devastated the area, completing the new high school in 2011.
She focused her efforts on regaining full accreditation for the district, which happened in 2015.
In 2018, Caruthersville became part of the Missouri Model District Program. Bullington oversaw the realignment of curriculum to the Missouri Learning Standards, identifying priority standards, writing specific learning targets, developing units of instruction, and training all staff on new instructional strategies.
Charles Brown
Brown first served in a support staff role at Central High School, part of St. Louis Public Schools, and as the school’s head track and football coach after his professional football career ended.
He then became the executive director of the Division of State and Federal Programs for St. Louis Public Schools in 1993. Brown was promoted to deputy superintendent for the district in 2000.
He later became DESE’s Assistant Commissioner of Teacher Quality and Urban Education, and, at the request of DESE, served as the superintendent of the Wellston School District after the district lost accreditation in 2005.
O. Victor Lenz Jr.
Lenz, Jr. spent his career serving the students and families in the St. Louis area — and later all of Missouri as a member of the State Board of Education.
Lenz was a teacher and administrator in the Lindbergh district for nearly 40 years. After retiring, he was elected to the Lindbergh school board and joined the Missouri School Boards’ Association as the Lindbergh delegate, serving as President of MSBA for the 2011-12 school year.
In 2013, Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Lenz to the state board. He continues to work with MSBA and is now spearheading a new venture, serving as a founding member of the Missouri Public Education Foundation.
More: As federal waiver expires, SPS parents urged to apply for free, reduced-price school meals
The state has presented the Pioneer in Education awards for 47 years to honor school teachers, administrators, citizens and lawmakers for their contributions to Missouri public education.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Three of the 2022 'Pioneers in Education' honorees from southwest MO
