Faces of the Ozarks Teacher Corps

Meet three inspiring educators from Missouri

August 30, 2017 |
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Ashlee Burger, McKenzie Moreland, and Kelly Wardle are three current and former members of the Ozarks Teacher Corps, a model program for creating rural teacher leaders.

The stories we hear from members of the Ozarks Teacher Corps are always heartening - which is why we want to share their stories with you.

In collaboration with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Rural Schools Partnership, we're pleased to introduce you to alumni and current members of the Ozarks Teacher Corps through a weekly series highlighting their personal stories and what led them down the path of rural teacher leadership.

  • Meet Ashlee, a first-year educator who returned to her hometown of Strafford, MO as a kindergarten teacher
  • Get to know McKenzie, a pre-service teacher specializing in cross categorical special education and sign language
  • Learn how Kelly creates a sense of community in her Willow Springs Elementary classroom

The Rural Schools Partnership will be posting new profiles of current and former Ozarks Teacher Corps members regularly on their news site.

Thanks to Matt Lemmon's students at Drury University for creating these profiles.


We're looking forward to continuing to highlight the experiences of rural teachers, and we've got some big plans in the works to continue to support the growth and success of these educators across the country - stay tuned!

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