First teacher appointed to State Board of Education

Michael McDonald, a math teacher in the Park Hill School District outside of Kansas City, has been appointed by Gov. Mike Kehoe to serve as the first teacher representative on the State Board of Education.

McDonald has over 20 years of classroom experience. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Mathematics Education from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Missouri–Columbia, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from MidAmerica Nazarene University, and an Education Specialist degree in Principalship from Arkansas State University.

McDonald will serve as the teacher representative on the State Board of Education, serving a four-year term. He is required to be confirmed by the Senate, and he will attend all board meetings and participate in deliberations. The teacher representative does not have the right to vote on any matter before the board.

First established in 2018, the teacher representative to the State Board is required to be an “active classroom teacher.” The appointee must be a resident of Missouri and a full-time certified teacher with at least five years of teaching experience in the state. The teacher must not be on leave at the time of the appointment and must have the written support of the local school board prior to accepting the appointment.

MSTA’s Adopted Resolutions support adding practicing educators to the State Board of Education and appreciate the governor giving teachers an important voice while the State Board considers topics such as teacher recruitment and retention, student classroom behaviors, school funding, and the hiring of a new commissioner.

Image of Michael McDonald courtesy of DESE. Read more in DESE's July 31, 2026, news release.