Staff

Al Richardson spent 29 years in the public school system focusing on improving student achievement through teaching, curriculum, instruction, and assessment work. Al’s primary areas of concentration during this time included data review and analysis, as well as curriculum development and implementation. Areas of focus during these years included creating a district-based report card, working to implement MSIP standards and indicators, inquiry-based learning, student engagement, Career and Technical Ed, vertical teaming, professional collaboration; as well as working with the Canvas LMS and various online benchmark assessment programs.

Al earned a BS in Mathematics Education from Southwest Missouri State University (MSU), while minoring in Religious Studies, and a MA in Curriculum and Instruction from Phoenix University. Currently Al is certified in Mathematics, grades 7-12, and Special Education (learning disability and behavioral/emotional disorders k-12). Al spent two years as a paraprofessional in a self-contained EMH classroom working with autistic students; two years as a Special Education teacher, and twelve years as a middle school and high school math teacher in Marion C. Early, Springfield, Seymour, and Marshfield. Having worked in various classroom environments and in districts of varied sizes as help provide Al with a well-rounded history of student and educator needs. After leaving the classroom, Al spent time in Marshfield as a Secondary Curriculum Coordinator, Director of Curriculum and Assessment, and finally as the Director of Assessment, Data, and Accountability. Al has served as a member of the Board of Directors for SMCAA and as Board president during the 2015-2016 school year.

Dr. Janie Pyle has been dedicated to the work of advancing the teaching profession for the last 39 years. Her focused expertise includes educational leadership and management of the educational process, curriculum review and standardization, effective instruction and coaching, and teacher retention through teacher leadership and motivation.

Janie is an accomplished speaker both at the state and national levels having presented at numerous state conferences, the National Staff Development Conference, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the National School Boards Association, the National Summit for Courageous Conversations and most recently the National Visible Learning Conference. In addition, she has consulted for several large and small school districts in California, Missouri and Arkansas. Janie has been published in Larry Ainsworth’s and Kristen Anderson’s book,Getting Started with Rigorous Curriculum Design. She was also the subject of an article titled “New Central Office Philosophy Makes Professional Learning a Team Effort” in the October 2014 edition of the Journal for Staff Development. Dr. Pyle is currently working on her first book about the effectiveness of curricular programming and execution.

Janie began her career in the state of South Carolina as an elementary teacher, and then moved on to K-12 special education, high school English, and college and university instruction in the states of California and Missouri. She holds a Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education and a Masters of Education in Special Education and School Administration. She received her Doctorate from the University of LaVerne in Southern California in Educational Leadership. In addition to teaching, Janie has experience as an elementary and secondary principal, assistant superintendent, and Superintendent. Janie is currently the Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Accountability for Raytown Quality Schools in Raytown, Missouri located in the Kansas City area.