JEFFERSON CITY — The interim leader of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education resigned Tuesday after a meeting where the Missouri State Board of Education reviewed proposed revisions to a new A-F grading framework for districts and schools.
Interim Commissioner of Education Stacey Preis, who has been on the job since June, announced her resignation in a separate room after the meeting.
Preis got emotional as she made the announcement, and she said the department worked endlessly to develop the new A-F grade card system under the parameters established by an executive order from Gov. Mike Kehoe.
"I accepted the position of interim commissioner in June as an opportunity to serve the state and provide leadership and stability during a time of transition," Preis said in a written statement sent to media after the meeting. "The responsibility for selecting the next commissioner rests with the State Board of Education. Leading Missouri's diverse and complex public education system requires substantial knowledge and experience, sound judgment, and the respect and confidence of those who serve our schools and students."
The A-F framework, which the State Board of Education approved for implementation in September, assigns schools and districts an overall rating of A-F on a scale from zero to 100 points, similar to how students are graded. The report cards assess every public school, charter school and school district in Missouri.
The framework has faced heavy pushback from school districts, including Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Klein. The room was packed at Tuesday's meeting, and previous meetings that included action on the framework were tense.
Preis, who had assumed the role of interim education commissioner when DESE submitted the A-F framework to the governor in late June, said she did "not specifically" resign due to pushback over the framework.
"At this time, I think the board's agenda is better served by a different commissioner," Preis said.
Preis took the interim helm of the state education department after Karla Eslinger resigned as education commissioner on June 1.
At Tuesday's meeting, the State Board of Education voted to hire The K12 Search Group to assist in the board's hiring of the next commissioner of education, according to a news release from DESE.
Board adjusts A-F framework
The State Board of Education's Tuesday meeting was packed again as the board considered revisions to the A-F school grading framework it approved in September.
Deputy Commissioner Lisa Sireno and four education officials discussed the draft adjustments.
A presentation shared during the meeting said the adjustments focused on rewarding movement toward proficiency, using weighted average scoring that ensures consistent category weights, emphasizes improvement at K-8 and emphasizes outcomes at grades 9-12.
The next steps for the board are to share embargoed draft data and a technical guide to schools and districts, it will make refinements to update data if necessary.
Adjusted framework will then be presented to the State Board of Education for approval before grade cards are released to the public in December.
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