Now that Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Chris Belcher is eligible for retirement, he is weighing his options for next year. That’s according to an email Belcher sent out last week to Columbia Public Schools staff. One of his options could be a teaching position with the MU College of Education.
District spokersperson Michelle Baumstark says Belcher sent the email to remain transparent about his situation with staff.
“It’s a difficult decision for him because he does enjoy being superintendent of Columbia Public Schools," she says. "He’s beginning to consider his options and eventually he will make a decision on what he wants to do.”
Belcher has applied for the position of Assistant Teaching Professor of PK12 Leadership and Policy within MU’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. Barbara Peterson with the College of Education said in a statement to KBIA that “of the candidates who applied, Dr. Belcher emerged as the strongest candidate for an on-campus interview, which was conducted Dec. 13 and 16.”
An official decision on the position won’t be likely for another few weeks, Peterson said.
Belcher has worked in education for 30 years. He’s been superintendent in Columbia since 2009.