Show-Me Growth Teaching Fellowship
Inaugural Cohort Announcement
Aligned is proud to announce the inaugural cohort of the Missouri Show-Me Growth Teaching Fellowship. These 24 educators work in classrooms across Missouri, from St. Louis and Kansas City to the Ozarks.
Together they span every grade from kindergarten through 8th grade and teach math, science, English language arts, and more. Each comes from a school recognized for exceptional student growth by Saint Louis University’s PRiME Center.
During the 2026–27 school year, fellows will come together for professional development convenings, build a statewide network, and receive storytelling support to share their classroom practices with educators, policymakers, and communities. Please join us in congratulating them.
Meet the 2026–27 cohort
- Lisa Abernathy, a 5th-grade teacher at Mann Elementary in St. Louis.
- Christopher Bowen, an 8th-grade English language arts teacher at Gateway MST Middle School in St. Louis.
- Cari Braden, a 6th-grade science teacher at Elsberry Middle School in Elsberry.
- Angela Clark, a 4th-grade teacher at South Elementary School in Jefferson City.
- Jessica Donovan, an 8th-grade math teacher at Kearney Junior High School in Kearney.
- Tiffany Gray, a 6th-grade math and 7th-grade science teacher at Mansfield Middle School in Mansfield.
- Michelle Greene, a kindergarten teacher at Moline Elementary in St. Louis (Riverview Gardens School District).
- Nancy Hadnott, a 7th- and 8th-grade math teacher at Genesis School in Kansas City.
- Alexandra Hays, a 7th- and 8th-grade science teacher at Lafayette Preparatory Academy in St. Louis.
- Haley Hurst, a 5th- and 6th-grade teacher at Academy for Integrated Arts in Kansas City.
- Yolanda Jackson, a 4th-grade English language arts teacher at The Leadership School in St. Louis.
- Pamela Keys, a 3rd-grade teacher at Jamestown Elementary in Florissant (Hazelwood School District).
- Diana Lacey, a 6th-grade English language arts teacher at Carnahan STEAM Middle School in St. Louis.
- Michelle Melvin, a 4th- and 5th-grade math teacher at Glenwood Elementary in West Plains.
- Jason Merseal, a 5th- through 8th-grade math teacher at Richwoods R-VII in Richwoods.
- Leslie Miller, a 6th-grade math teacher at Macon Middle School in Macon.
- Brenda Montgomery, a 1st-grade teacher at Bel-Nor Elementary in St. Louis (Normandy Schools Collaborative).
- Dr. Denise Ross, a 5th-grade English language arts teacher at Pershing Elementary School in University City.
- Samantha Sellers, a 5th-grade teacher at Rising Hill Elementary School in Kansas City.
- Rena Selvey, a 3rd-grade teacher at Cecil Floyd Elementary in Joplin.
- Misty Shaddox, a 4th- through 6th-grade math teacher at Wheatland Elementary in Wheatland.
- Morgan Strabo, a 6th-grade English language arts teacher at KC International Academy in Kansas City.
- Emily Wilcutt, a 3rd-grade teacher at Hancock Place Elementary School in St. Louis.
- Megan Williams, a 7th- through 9th-grade English teacher at Scott County Central High School in Sikeston.
About the Fellowship
Across Missouri, some schools are helping students make meaningful academic progress in ways that deserve to be understood, shared, and celebrated.
The Show-Me Growth Teaching Fellowship is designed to elevate the educators closest to that work: teachers whose practices, mindsets, and leadership can help other schools learn from what is working.
The fellowship is a paid, nine-month program for current Missouri public school teachers from schools recognized by the PRiME Center at Saint Louis University in its 2026 Growth, Beating the Odds, or Rural Schools Growth reports.
Who Is Eligible?
Nominees must:
- Be a current Missouri public school teacher.
- Teach in a school recognized in the PRiME Center’s Growth, Beating the Odds, or Rural Schools Growth reports.
- Be nominated by a principal or school leader from a school recognized in the PRiME Center’s Growth, Beating the Odds, or Rural Schools Growth reports.
Principals and school leadership teams may nominate one teacher from each eligible school.
What Fellows Receive
Selected fellows will receive:
- A $1,500 stipend
- A certificate of completion
- Virtual professional learning opportunities
- Statewide networking with educators and education leaders
- Storytelling and communications support
- Opportunities to share classroom practices with educators, policymakers, and communities across Missouri
What Fellows Do
Fellows will participate in virtual convenings outside of school hours and engage in opportunities to share their expertise with others.
Fellows may choose from activities such as:
- Sharing effective classroom practices with other educators
- Writing or contributing to stories about student growth
- Speaking at events or virtual convenings
- Hosting classroom visitors
- Participating in media or storytelling opportunities
- Helping highlight how Missouri schools are supporting student academic growth
No travel is required. Any in-person opportunities will be optional.
Program Timeline
| July 13, 2026 | Nomination form opens |
| August 28, 2026 | Nominations close |
| Mid-September 2026 | Fellows announced |
| October 2026 | First virtual convening |
| December 2026 | Second virtual convening |
| January 2027 | Storytelling workshop |
| March 2027 | Growth data session |
| May 2027 | Final reflections and next steps |
How Fellows Are Selected
Fellows will be selected through a review process focused on:
- Student impact and instructional excellence
- Potential to contribute to other educators
- Leadership and storytelling potential
- Ability to participate meaningfully in fellowship activities
Final cohort selection will also consider geographic, grade-level, subject-area, district, and school-community representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
A principal or member of a school leadership team may nominate a teacher from an eligible school.
Eligible schools are those recognized by the PRiME Center at Saint Louis University in its 2026 Growth, Beating the Odds, or Rural Schools Growth reports. Only teachers currently working in these schools may be nominated.
No. Teachers must be nominated by a principal or school leader.
Up to 24 teachers will be selected for the inaugural cohort.
The fellowship will begin in September 2026 and continue through May 2027.
Yes. The planned fellowship convenings will be held virtually and scheduled outside of school hours so fellows can participate without disrupting classroom instruction.
Convenings will be scheduled outside of school hours to avoid classroom conflicts.
No. Travel is not required. Any in-person opportunities will be optional.
Fellows are expected to participate in virtual convenings and selected storytelling or peer-sharing activities throughout the program. The fellowship is designed to fit within the schedules of working teachers.
The $1,500 stipend will be paid in installments over the course of the fellowship.
Yes. Stipends are considered taxable income and will be reported accordingly.
Fellows may be featured on Aligned’s website, newsletter, social media, or other public-facing materials. Fellows will be consulted before being featured publicly.
Please email MOFellows@wearealigned.org with any questions.