This is a series featuring new teachers at Fort Scott School District USD234.
There are 21 new teachers in the district this year.
The first day of school is August 18.
Tracy Comstock is the new teacher at Fort Scott High School for English 1 and Dual Credit English.
She earned BSEd from Missouri State University and a
MA in English from Pittsburg State University.
“This will be my 16th year teaching. I have taught at several schools in both Missouri and Kansas, and also worked as an adjunct for Crowder, Cottey College, and PSU,” she said.
“The best thing about teaching is getting to know and work with so many amazing students,” she said. “I love sharing my passion for reading and writing.”
“The challenging thing about my job is that English is definitely not everyone’s favorite subject!” she said.
She lives in Pittsburg, and has been married to Jason for 26 years.
“Our oldest son Garrett will be a freshman at PSU this fall,” she said. “Our youngest son Trevyn will be starting as a freshman at FSHS.”
Emily Peterson. Submitted photo.
Emily Peterson, 22, is a special education preschool teacher at Fort Scott Preschool Center.
She worked as a special education paraprofessional for 4 years.
She earned an associates degree at Labette Community College and then transferred to Wichita State University and joined the TAP program to receive a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Unified and Elementary education K-6.
Her hometown is Columbus, Kansas.
In her spare time she enjoys being active in the gym and running with friends, she said.
“Throughout school I had some amazing teachers that positively impacted my life and still are some of my biggest supporters today,” she said. “They motivated me to want to be that positive role in someone’s life.”
“The best thing about teaching is getting to experience something new everyday,” she said. “Each day is full of adventures, challenges, and success. It’s such a rewarding job.”
“The greatest challenge for me is never really being done with work,” she said. “As teachers, we are always thinking of things to improve and work on for the kids.”
Rayanne McKinsey, 24, will be a new second grade teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
She worked at Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center the past five years-three of those as coordinator of Erie Summer SEKA, a children’s program, she said. She student taught at Sheridan Elementary in Junction City, Kansas, in 2021-2022.
“This past school year, I finished my first year of teaching within preschool, 3rd grade Title, and elementary P.E.-as well as helping coach middle school girls’ basketball,” she said.
She graduated high school from Chanute Christian Academy in 2018 and then went to Neosho County Community College. She graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, in May 2022. She is also currently working towards gaining a coaching certificate from Kansas State University and a Master’s of Biblical Ministry from Ozark Christian College.
“I grew up on my family farm outside of Chanute and Erie, Kansas,” she said. “While growing up I participated in church activities, sports, high school leadership; and I was highly active in 4-H for 12 years.”
“I enjoy exercising, spending time outside, playing with my dog, working with my livestock, baking, and spending time with my friends and family,” she said.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher since I was little; and the passion to become one continued to grow while experiencing my own teachers and gaining employment through SEKMHC and various Kansas schools as an emergency substitute,” she said. “I’ve seen that children are wanting to know that they have people in their lives that care about them…Not only are we there for our students for academics; but we should also be there for them for whatever is going on in their lives. My past teachers made this impact on me; and I want to continue making this impact.”
“I love the connections that I make with my students and to see their excitement for learning,” she said. “I’m looking forward to meeting new students, their families, and faculty; all the new opportunities USD 234 is offering me; and becoming involved in this community.”
