2006 - Great Place To Work Award Winner
March 06, 2008
Francis Howell School
District
Francis Howell School District is one of the largest districts in
the state of Missouri with 10 Elementary schools, 5 Middle Schools,
3 High Schools, and 2 Alternative schools. It is also the home of
the longest running year-round elementary schools in the United
States. One might think that their size is a disadvantage in their
ability to connect with students and their families. In fact, the
opposite is true.
Francis Howell School District boasts nationally acclaimed preschool programs, Parents as Teachers, and Vacation Station. Vacation Station provides before and after school care and because they are also a year-round school, all day intersession care is available to hundreds of kids in the school district. Eight out of ten of their programs are currently accredited by the National After School Association. Commenting on the success of Vacation Station, one staff member stated, “Parents are the experts on their children, and their involvement is vital to a quality program.”
Francis Howell knows that providing benefits for its staff members also means they are providing for the well-being of the students and families of the community. They offer staff options for health insurance and family coverage with portions paid by the district. They provide vision, dental and disability coverage, and a cafeteria plan for interested employees. Career Ladder is available to National Board Certified Teachers, awarding them $5000 annually for the life of the certificate. This year alone, 24% of Missouri’s newly National Board Certified Teachers hail from the Francis Howell School District. There are 23 teachers at Francis Howell who hold National Board Certification. The quality treatment of staff members may be one of the reasons why Francis Howell retains great teachers. Nearly 65% of the professional staff members hold advanced degrees—well above the state average of 49.5%. In 2005, they housed both the Missouri Elementary Teacher of the Year and the Missouri Gifted Teacher of the Year.
The continued combined efforts of Francis Howell families, schools, and community resulted in improved MAP scores across the board in 2005. Francis Howell earned 91 of the total 100 points possible on their Annual Performance Report, allowing them DESE’s “Fully Accredited” status.
Superintendent, Dr. Dan O’Donnell, states, “There is one huge reason that FHSD is a great place to work- our people! We have the best parents, kids, staff, faculty and administration I have dealt with in my 30 years in education. Francis Howell truly is a place that cares about children and strives to see that every child has the opportunity to grow into the best person possible by the time they leave our Professional Learning Community.”
We at PPP are proud that Francis Howell School District remains a great place to work and a great place to educate kids.
