Sen. Caleb Rowden’s Column – Mar. 2, 2018

Mar. 2, 2018

Senator Caleb Rowden’s Column for the Week of Feb. 26, 2018

In today’s world, not only do we need to educate children, we must inspire them! We must welcome new and fresh ideas into the classroom, and find new ways to inspire our kids to become the great leaders and innovators of tomorrow. One of the ways to connect education with the real world is to allow working professionals to share their expertise with our students. High School is such an important time as students begin to plan their careers and think about what their futures will hold. With this in mind, I have sponsored legislation that would allow experts in a variety of fields to teach our students specialized subjects and provide them with a real-world perspective on the content they’re learning in school.

Senate Bill 924 provides the State Board of Education with the authority to grant these working professionals a visiting scholars certificate, which would serve as a temporary license to teach in public schools. These visiting scholars would be employed as part of a business-education partnership initiative designed to build career pathways systems for high school students. Senate Bill 924 is identical to House Bill 1665 which was already passed in the Missouri House of Representatives.

I also had an opportunity this week to meet with high school and college students, and I attended the University of Missouri Showcase. It’s always a great part of my job as a senator to meet with constituents and hear about the great things going on in the 19^th Senatorial District.

Travis (left) and Damon (right) are both studying at State Technical College of Missouri in Linn, Missouri. Both students are originally from my district and worked hard during high school to earn an A+ scholarship to cover their tuition. The A+ program is a great tool for dedicated students to grow their leadership skills and make smart financial decisions in college. Damon is currently studying in the mechanical classes while Travis is studying welding. Both of these hard-working students already have job opportunities waiting for them as soon as they graduate.

 I also had the opportunity to meet students who are in the gifted program at both Rockbridge High School and Hickman High School in Columbia. These talented students are the best and the brightest from our community. As part of their participation in the gifted program offered by their schools, these students had the opportunity to tour the Capitol and see the work lawmakers do firsthand. I was honored to meet such a bright group of students and I look forward to seeing the great things they do with their futures!

Finally, I had the opportunity to attend the 2018 University of Missouri Legislative Showcase. Special guests at the event included all four campus mascots, and MU Athletics coaches and student athletes. The event was a great celebration of the accomplishments of the University of Missouri and the important work being done to educate young Missourians and prepare them for their future careers. It was also great to see student-athlete Drew Lock, alum J’Den Cox and Coach Barry Odom. There was a huge crowd at the showcase and I was once again struck by how proud I am to be a part of the Mizzou family and how excited I am about our future!

  _{Coach Odom, Sen. Mike Kehoe, Drew Lock,  Sen. Caleb Rowden and J’Den Cox}

I am here to serve you, and my office door is always open to your questions, concerns and suggestions. You can reach my staff at 573-751-3931 and an array of legislative and constituent resurces at www.senate.mo.gov/rowden .