Learn About Quality Schools Coalition
Quality Schools Coalition believes that all children in Missouri should have access to a high quality public education. Unfortunately, our statewide policies and regulations do not create the conditions to achieve this outcome. Great teachers are the backbone of every great school, but educators are often saddled with superfluous paperwork that takes time away from student learning, and teachers in Missouri are among the lowest paid in the nation. Year-to-year student growth is the truest measure of school quality, but this metric is vastly undervalued in Missouri and therefore the state's school rating system is skewed. To choose the best school for their children, parents must have a variety of high-quality options available to them and access to clear information about school performance. But in Missouri, school choice is limited and parents struggle to find clear information about school quality.
Our students and teachers work hard everyday to succeed. The state of Missouri must honor them by creating a policy environment in which all public schools can flourish, providing students and teachers with fair and adequate resources, and ensuring that parents can choose the school that is best suited for their children.
Quality Schools Coalition works with parents, educators, lawmakers and other community members to identify problems in our public education ecosystem, design solutions, and advocate for positive changes. We hope you will join us!
Our Mission
The mission of Quality Schools Coalition is to improve education in Missouri by advocating for a policy environment in which public schools flourish.
Our Vision
Every student in Missouri has access to a high-quality public education.
QSC Frequently Asked Questions
Quality Schools Coalition strives to improve public education opportunities for all students in Missouri. Parents and other education stakeholders sometimes ask about the origins and purpose of QSC. Below are the answers to a few of the questions we often hear:
As a school leader in Kansas City for ten years, Dean Johnson came to understand that the decisions being made in Jefferson City had a significant impact on the students and teachers in classrooms throughout Missouri. In collaboration with other education stakeholders, he started Quality Schools Coalition in December 2020 with the goal of positively impacting public education policy decisions in our state.
A strong and successful public education ecosystem is the foundation for every strong community. Children who receive an excellent education are more likely to become adults with a high quality of life and citizens who contribute positively to society. Unfortunately, many children in Missouri do not have access to a high-quality public education. To change this reality, we must align our statewide education policies with relevant data and proven strategies. This is not easy work, but QSC is committed to the task.
QSC supports several initiatives that will increase access to a high-quality education in Missouri. The Quality Education Act will improve our K-12 school accountability system by measuring what matters - student growth and achievement, making information about school performance clear and accessible for parents, and providing interventions and support for struggling schools. To attract and retain great teachers, we must increase teacher pay and create alternative pathways for teacher certification. All parents should have options when choosing the best school for their children, and QSC advocates for expanding public school choice.
QSC is a statewide organization in Missouri. We travel throughout the state to collaborate with parents, partners and policymakers, and we network with educators, researchers and other education advocacy organizations throughout the country. Our home office is in Kansas City.
QSC relies on hundreds of volunteers, including many parents and students, to communicate with their elected officials about the necessary changes to the education system. Contact us for more information about how to get involved and advocate alongside QSC.
History of Quality Schools Coalition
After spending 10 years as a charter school leader and educator in Kansas City, Dean Johnson came to appreciate the enormous impact decisions made in Jefferson City have on classrooms and student learning throughout the state. Through that appreciation, Dean founded Quality Schools Coalition in December 2020, and serves as its President & CEO.