Missouri Professional Learning Communities

Mary Ann Burns, PhD. - Director of School Improvement Initiatives

maryann.burns@dese.mo.gov

(573)751-2332

Mary Ann joined the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in the fall of 2007 as the Director of School Improvement Initiatives during the first major scale-up of the MO PLC Project since it began as a school improvement initiative in 2003. During that scale-up, the MO PLC Project received both federal and state support to fund at least two resources specialists in each of the nine regional development centers.  In the summer of 2010, even after a loss of the state appropriation for the MO PLC Project, through the increased efforts of the federal support and the use of accrued income, the MO PLC Project was again scaled-up to provide thirty resource specialists working with nearly 300 schools across the state.

Before coming to the DESE, Mary Ann served as a building administrator for sixteen years.  Prior to becoming an administrator, Mary Ann spent fifteen years as a classroom teacher -- both in Special Education at the secondary and elementary level and as a classroom teacher in the intermediate and junior high grades -- specializing in language arts.  Having begun her teaching career as a Special Education teacher, Mary Ann believes her commitment to ensure that “ALL children learn at high levels” stems from her early work as an advocate for students with special learning needs.  As a building administrator, it was her goal to support teachers to do “whatever it takes” to maximize student learning – which begins with a collaborative culture that also ensures shared learning for the adults in school.  “Every child matters and it is our collective responsibility to make sure each child receives the quality education he/she deserves.  It is not acceptable to let even one child fail,” sums up Mary Ann’s dedication to making schools a better place for kids.

In addition to the work with the MO PLC Project, Mary Ann serves on several committees at the DESE and is responsible for the NCLB – Blue Ribbon and MO Gold Star Schools Programs.  Mary Ann completed her doctorate during the fall of 2011 through the UMSL focusing upon a study relative to the ongoing work of the professional learning communities process.

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