CON V ERGING CA MPUS & COMMUNIT Y
NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2026
MARYVILLE, MISSOURI
NWMISSOURINEWS.COM
VOL. 114, NO. 14
@THEMISSOURIAN
STATE EDUCATION BILLS
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SOURCE: MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
INFOGRAPHIC BY ANNA CASE DESIGNER
VERCHANGING
NW education students discuss political climate ANNA BAILEY News Editor | @AmBailey16
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any individuals choose to pursue a career based on what they enjoy. For prospecting teachers, they also might consider the ever changing political discussions regarding education. There are over 40 bills circulating in the Missouri House of Representatives regarding education. Northwest has been preparing students to become teachers since 1905, when it opened as a school for teacher education. The field of education has never stopped adapting, and along with it is the preparation education majors receive prior to entering the field. Speech and Theater Education student Madi Richter said bills are talked about in the classroom, and less discussed among students. “I know I’ve talked to other speech and theater ed. people… and we’re just kind of like, ‘These (bills) existed?’” Richter said. “As much as they try to prepare us for the future, sometimes they kind of dismiss the hardships and kind of the real world stuff until we actually get to the point where we need to know it.” Middle School Education major Cole Findling said bills are discussed within six Professional Learning Community courses. “Whether you’re a teacher or not, you are probably going to be affected by the school system,” Findling said. “I think it’s important to always stay on top of what your state is doing, and especially what your state’s doing that affects the education of your kid.” School of Education Associate Professor Travis Dimmitt teaches PLC classes four and five. He said as a professor in higher education, he sees it as part of his job to teach education students about what is occurring in the political world. “I think that one of the responsibilities that I have as a professor of education is to just kind of
AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1914.
show you what’s going on outside in the world, because it does have an impact on you,” Dimmitt said. Speech and Theater Education major Bridget Hopkins said there is a lot of focus on student needs within legislation, and less focus on teacher needs. There are multiple circulating bills concerning teacher needs. One of these is Missouri House Bill 2913, which will provide provisions for teachers to defend themselves against acts of violence in the classroom. This bill passed in the House March 11.
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I think it’s important to always stay on top of what your state is doing, and especially what your state’s doing that affects the education of your kid.”
COLE FINDLING MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION MAJOR
Hopkins said this bill hit her close to home. She said her mom has a close friend who worked with children with special needs, some of whom would act violently toward Hopkins’ friend. “She would come home getting beat, like, legit bruises, scratches,” Hopkins said. “She would get sent home mid-day and have to cancel our practices, being like, ‘Hey, I got beat up in class today. I gotta go to the hospital.’” Hopkins said this friend could not do anything to defend herself until another adult came to help her. These experiences would leave her with severe injuries. Hopkins said she is happy there is finally legislation that allows teachers to protect themselves. Another piece of legislation that could have an impact is
Missouri House Bill 2580. This bill “Prohibits public school staff members from encouraging students in their social transition to being perceived as a member of the opposite biological sex,” according to the House website. Hopkins said this bill upsets her, because there is typically a higher concentration of queer students involved in the arts. Hopkins said she is hoping to teach theater at a high school or, at a higher-education level. She said she is saddened by the thought that she may not be able to show support toward her students. “This one hurts,” Hopkins said. “To know there’s a place within my own job I could be prohibited from supporting a student when they don’t feel comfortable in their own skin anymore, it makes — it genuinely makes me sick to my stomach to think that I might have to hide pride flags in my room if I want to support students, especially being a theater teacher.” Findling and Richter also said they do not support this bill. Findling said, while in high school, he had a friend who was transitioning; this person dealt with a lot of backlash from students and staff. “A janitor called my friend a slur, and we reported that, and after months of being like… ‘Why is he still around students? This is a safe place. We should all be encouraged to grow how we see fit,’” Findling said. “The most that ever happened is they moved that janitor from high school to primary school.” He said this action did not feel right to himself or his peers. Findling said after reading through this bill, he sees a lot of holes. For example, he said not all the language used is clear. He said it should be defined what “facilitating a student’s transition” is and what “supporting a student from a social and emotional standpoint” is.
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