School and Community Summer 2024

News

New Kid on the Block: Julie Gass Joins Member Service Coordinator Team

With a robust background in education and a deep commitment to supporting teachers, Julie brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to her new role as a Member Service Coordinator. Julie’s journey began in Yuba City, a small rural community in Northern California. At age 10, her family relocated to Marshall, Missouri, when her father accepted a position at Missouri Valley College to lead the American Humanics Program. “My father’s dedication to education and community service had a profound influence on me,” Julie said. After graduating from Marshall High School, she attended the College of the Ozarks, also known as “Hard Work U.” “Then when I married my children’s father in 1999, I transferred to Missouri Valley College,” she recalled. Julie’s professional journey in education began at Sedalia School District #200, where she taught fourth grade. She credits her mentor, Linda Ryan, for guiding her through those early years. “Linda’s expertise was invaluable. I learned the importance of building relationships with students, parents and colleagues,” Julie said. She enjoyed Sedalia for four years, then her husband took a job in St. Louis with the Union Pacific Railroad as a conductor. The move to St. Louis led Julie to KinderCare, where she taught pre-K. “I became a Program Director, where I learned how to manage budgets and design engaging programs for our center,” Julie shared. “I was there for two years before my husband transferred to Jefferson City, and we moved back to Marshall.” Julie continued to grow professionally at Marshall Public Schools and completed her student teaching under Elaine Kelly in a fifth grade classroom. “I was thrilled to learn I was hired to teach alongside her and the ‘Fifth Grade Posse,’” she said. “These were an incredible group of veteran teachers who had it down! Lori Leicher taught me how to write quality assessments and align curriculum. Elaine was our team leader and our CTA president.” Encouraged by colleagues, Julie pursued

a master’s degree and, after seven years, transitioned to teaching eighth grade social studies. The lifetime opportunity came when she was chosen to head the department. “The teacher retiring from the position was another legendary teacher in our building, Jane Lewis,” Julie noted. “She shared everything with me and made sure the transition was smooth. With the tremendously well-designed curriculum she had spent years perfecting and another great group of veteran teachers to hold my hand, I was set up for success!” Julie’s involvement with MSTA began when a friend, Mindi Coslet, was elected CTA president. “Mindi asked me to be a building representative,” she recalled. “Even though I had no idea what that entailed precisely, she promised our meetings would be at Bueker, and they would be short - so I agreed. I quickly learned how MSTA brought teachers together to support each other and their community.” Julie’s first experience at MSTA Convention was transformative, providing her with new tools and strategies to enhance her classroom. “I experienced firsthand how MSTA united teachers from all over the state to make real change for teachers at the State legislative level as we debated proposals for education policy,” she said. “What I learned at those conferences, I was able to implement that next week in my classroom. I had new tools to increase cognitive engagement beyond belief. The students were learning so much! I was so excited to share what I had learned with the rest of the social studies department.” After five years of teaching eighth grade, Julie transitioned into an Instructional Coach role which allowed her to share her passion for innovative teaching strategies with colleagues. “When I asked my principal why I was chosen, he said it was because of the changes I had made in the Social Studies department,” she detailed. “Those changes were directly related to what I had learned while attending MSTA events and the connections I made with outstanding educators around Missouri.”

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