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.