As she prepares to retire as Missouri’s commissioner of education, Dr. Karla Eslinger says helping students discover purpose remains the key to building the state’s future workforce.
During more than three decades of service to Missouri government and the children of our state, Eslinger has emphasized collaboration with educators and community stakeholders to support student success.
“As with our society and education system, everything continues to evolve and change,” Eslinger said. “What I noticed was that some students could not fully understand the broad range of opportunities available to them. I felt it was important not only to inform them about their options, but also to give them opportunities to explore, to talk with professionals in fields they are interested in, learn what skills are required and assess whether those skills align with their strengths.”
Eslinger said connecting education to opportunity is more important now than ever as Missouri prepares the workforce of the future.
“Once students understand the purpose behind ‘Why am I here at school?’ and ‘Why do I need to learn these academic skills?’ they can see a path toward a profession or career they love. When a student truly feels in control of their future and sees purpose in what they are doing, there is no stopping them.”
As artificial intelligence becomes more commonplace, Eslinger said students need to be able to analyze, think critically and solve problems.
“If you simply take what AI gives you at face value, that can be dangerous,” Eslinger said. “AI is a very useful tool, but people must understand where the information comes from. If you do not understand the source of the data, you may accept the results verbatim without questioning them. It is important to understand how AI generates information and how it can be used as a learning tool rather than something that drives decisions for you.”
During her time in appointed and elected public office, Eslinger led efforts to help adults already in the workforce get retraining opportunities in high-demand fields, such as health care – a trend she sees continuing.
“When you have the trifecta of K-12 education, postsecondary education, and business and industry working together within a community, they create outstanding opportunities.” Eslinger said. “I believe we will continue to see stronger partnerships among these entities in the future.”
Eslinger said strong partnerships between education, business and community organizations are critical to building Missouri’s future workforce.
“The way I look at it, the education system is the pipeline to the workforce, and that directly impacts the economic development of the state,” Eslinger said. “We must continue encouraging these partnerships because none of these groups are as successful on their own as they are when they work together.”
“The Missouri Chamber has enjoyed a close partnership with Dr. Eslinger throughout her service in the Missouri House, Senate, at the Department of Education,” said Kara Corches, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber. “Dr. Eslinger worked closely with the Chamber to help craft and champion the legislation that created the upskill credential workforce training program, demonstrating her strong understanding of the needs of Missouri employers. We have always appreciated her collaborative leadership style and common-sense approach.”
