Ashcroft hosts Hunt Institute Legislative Retreat on Education
Jefferson City, Mo. — Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft welcomed several Missouri lawmakers and educators at the annual Hunt Institute Legislative Retreat on Education last week at Lincoln University in Jefferson City.
The two-day retreat took place on December 1-2 and covered several topics such as early childhood education, school effectiveness, accountability and improvement.
The Hunt Institute works to engage with senior-level elected officials, legislators and their closest advisors in order to advance education policy.
Ashcroft, a Hunt-Kean fellow, was responsible for bringing the retreat to Missouri in 2019, partnering with Lincoln University. The Missouri program continues to expand each year. Several members of the Missouri Legislature attended the retreat to brainstorm and hear from education experts across Missouri and around the country.
“What we saw at the Missouri Legislator’s Retreat last week was a perfect example of why The Hunt Institute created this program in the first place – to create space for legislators to come together and dive into essential education topics outside of the confines of state chambers,” said Dr. Javaid Siddiqi, President and CEO of The Hunt Institute. “The more often we have these conversations with resource experts on a local and state level, the more successes we will see for students, teachers, and our communities across the country.”
“It is great to see the program continue to grow,” Ashcroft said. “In the first year we had a handful of participants. This year we had a sizeable number from the Missouri legislature participate in this bipartisan effort to emphasize education as a legislative priority.”
Ashcroft continued in his remarks by saying, “I want every Missouri parent to be afforded the same opportunities and choices regarding their student’s education that I have for my children as secretary of state. All students should have the opportunity for a challenging education; to grow and thrive.”