Angie Besendorfer: I helped guide the Joplin community in reimagining high school education

In a just published article for The Business Journals, former Joplin R-8 Assistant Superintendent Angie Besendorfer Martin explains how she used the Joplin tornado to transition the school district to digital learning.

In a first-person article published as part of Business Journals' "In Her Own Words" feature, Martin described how the tornado destroyed six district schools and the challenges faced by district officials.

Our mission was to create quality education experiences, and we had to rise to the occasion to reframe this period of chaos as an opportunity for growth. We couldn’t simply aim to return to the status quo. We had to resist the urge to revert to old ways and instead forge a new path forward. We embraced the concept that when you are living with things you thought you could never live without, you can question things you never questioned before.

It’s hard to believe now, in a post-pandemic world, but digital learning was not mainstream in a K-12 setting at that time. I helped guide the community in re-imagining high school education, encouraging them to question things like “why should it take the same number of minutes to learn algebra as biology or art appreciation?” As a result, prioritization was placed on designing technology-focused, optimal student learning experiences and developing a strategic plan to rebuild a stronger educational infrastructure.

After Martin left the R-8 District, she served as chancellor at Western Governors University for several years and now is chief impact officer at AstrumU