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DESE Team,
I am writing to share my decision to retire from my role as Commissioner of Education, effective June 1, 2026.
After several weeks of thoughtful consideration, I have decided to pursue opportunities that will allow me to spend more time with my family while also exploring new professional endeavors.
The work ahead for the department and for the state of Missouri remains critically important, and I am committed to supporting a smooth and successful transition in the weeks ahead.
I am deeply proud of my years of service to the state of Missouri, but most of all, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside such dedicated board members, DESE staff, and valued partners throughout the years. Working together in support of Missouri’s students and educators has been one of the greatest privileges of my career.
I am also very pleased with what we have accomplished together during my tenure. Some of the projects we accomplished include the comprehensive refresh of our strategic plan, consolidation of our state and federal programs, literacy gains across the state, reconstruction of the payment calculator for the Office of Childhood, improvements to customer service, and the huge steps to increase the availability of quality data providing transparent and effective means to share our progress. These and numerous other accomplishments were made possible by our amazing DESE team.
I wish the department, the education community, and students of our state continued success.
Sincerely,
Dr. Karla Eslinger
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