This is part of a series featuring the 26 new Fort Scott educators.

USD 234 students first day is August 18.

Mike Durnell, 54, is a new math teacher at Fort Scott High School.

His hometown is Moundville, MO.

He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in education from College of the Ozarks, a Master’s Degree in education from Missouri State University, and a Specialist’s Degree in Education from William Woods University.

He has taught for 31 years.

Durnell began teaching high school math in LaMonte, Missouri, then taught math in Billings, Missouri and Aurora, Missouri at the middle and high school levels, then junior high math in El Dorado Springs, for many years before serving as the Activities Director. Most recently, he have taught junior high math in Uniontown.

He is married to Suzan and has two grown daughters, Jenna and Tessa. “Suzan will be working in the elementary schools in Fort Scott this coming school year, my daughters are married, working, and making the world a better place,” he said.

Outside of the classroom he enjoys hunting and fishing.

Durnell was influenced to teach by his high school teacher and coach, Randy Robertson, he said.

Students are the best part of teaching for Durnell, although there are some challenges.

“In teaching, we are faced with students being more distracted than ever,” he said. “It is a challenge to keep things interesting for them.”

 

Christie Lutter Smith, 48 is the Speech Language Pathologist for Eugene Ware Elementary, Fort Scott High, St. Mary’s Elementary, Christian Heights and Christian Learning Center all in Fort Scott.

“I am really looking forward to being a part of the Fort Scott School District,” she said.  “I am looking forward to the upcoming school year and can’t wait to work with the kids and their families.”

Smith earned a Bachelor’s in Communication Disorders (Speech Language Pathology), then a Master’s in Early Childhood Special Education, taught school, then earned a Master’s in Communication Disorders.

“I have been a speech therapist for over 20 years and have practiced in a variety of settings: schools, hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities. I love them all and feel blessed to love what I do.”

She and husband Dallas have been married 25 years and have three girls: Meg, 22, is getting married this fall; Ellie,17 will be a senior and “can’t wait for basketball season, and Cate,10a, ttends Saint Mary’s and pretty much loves everyone,” she said.

In her spare time she loves to travel, read,  and has hobbbies of photography, music and art.

 Smith’s other involvements in the community: Catholic High School Youth Leader, past Mercy Hospital Foundation Board member, a nursing home volunteer, Parent Teacher Organization, past board member of Mother to Mother Ministry, Relay for Life, PEO, and Magazine Club.

“I started college as a pre-med student; however, after taking a few classes in speech pathology I fell in love. Probably because I love to talk! As my classes went along I also fell in love with the special education field and became actively involved in the Special Olympics. All these exposures and experiences have aided me throughout my career.”

“Some of the greatest challenges I have faced in my career and continue to face is finding the resources our families need in Southeast Kansas.  It may not be easy to find but there are amazing people and companies out there, a lot of them in our community.”

This is part of a series featuring the new educators in Bourbon County. There are 26 new educators in USD 234.

Jon Barnes, 23, is the new Fort Scott High School American Government and American History teacher.

Barnes graduated from Fort Scott Community College with an Associates of Science and from Pittsburg State University he earned a Bachelor of Science in Education.

He is a first year teacher.

Barnes comes from Yates Center. His family:  mom Tonya Billiard Barnes  of Fort Scott, dad is Kevin Barnes of Mound City.

In his spare time he enjoys walking his dog, lifting weights, playing golf, basketball, watching movies, playing video games, hunting/fishing, and is involved at the  Fort Scott Church of  the Nazarene.

“I decided to become a teacher after working as a tutor my second year at FSCC,” he said. “Both my parents are in education and they certainly inspired me, as well as my fourth grade teacher and high school cross country coach, Rex McVey.”

“The part of teaching I’m most excited about is getting to work with my students,” he said. “I’m in it for the kids, I love building relationships and being a positive influence on the next generation.”

“As a first year teacher, I’m sure I will find the challenges when we get rolling, but I look forward to working through them,” he said.

Mike Krull, 56, is the new Fort Scott High School Physical Education Teacher and head boys basketball coach.

He has a Bachelors of Science in Education Degree from Pittsburg State University, with emphasis in physical education and social studies.

Krull taught at Louisburg, from 1991-1998 Frankfort, from 1998-2000, Yates Center, from 2000-2002, and Parsons from 2002-2022.

He grew up in Girard, Kansas.

His wife’s name is Misty and together they have five children.

“Three are mine and two are hers,” Krull said. “One son shy of Brady Bunch. I have a son Wesley, who is a teacher at Parsons and two daughters, Kaylee, a teacher at Pittsburg, and Sydney, a  senior at PSU. I have a step-daugher, McCarly, a nurse/RN in Pittsburg and a step-son, McCade, an independent contractor in SEK.”

Some of his interests outside of school are  “obviously basketball / sports, learning new cultures around the world, traveling / cruising, grandchildren Rip and Myla,” he said.

He became a teacher because he enjoyed school, he said. “I was always around the school environment with my mother, a secretary, and father, a teacher. I went to Fort Scott Community College and Pittsburg State University for my formal training, and really enjoy being around the environment.”

“No one person really inspired me to be a teacher, but really a combination of the overall experience. My mother, father, coaches, my high school teachers, and my college teachers,” he said.

“The best part of teaching is probably knowing that other teachers go through the same thing you go through with students and also the bonds that are made with students and their families and the bond with other faculty members,” Krull said.

“Probably the biggest challenge is knowing that each day will be different, good or bad, from the previous days,” he said.

His wife, Amanda, is also an educator who teaches elementary music at Jayhawk Elementary in Mound City.  They have two sons-  Leighton, 13, and Reid, 7.

When not teaching, he is involved in his children’s sports activities.