Alumnus imparting leadership, education experience as director of Horace Mann, Leet Center

April 17, 2024

Alumnus imparting leadership, education experience as director of Horace Mann, Leet Center

By Georgia McGonigle, communication assistant

After 27 years of working in education, Northwest Missouri State University alumnus Kevin Pitts has returned to his roots as the director of Horace Mann Laboratory School and the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families.

Pitts - who has a bachelor's degree in elementary education, a master's degree in administration and a specialist's degree in superintendency, all from Northwest - retired last May from Maryville Middle School after serving as its principal for 19 years.

When Pitts learned about the opportunity to direct Horace Mann and the Leet Center on the Northwest campus, where he completed his practice teaching as a student 30 years ago, his plans to retire as an educator changed.

"I got to thinking, 'This would be my first fall not going back to kids and teachers and all that goes with it,'" Pitts said. "The opportunity came up out here and I interviewed, so it was kind of like a full circle moment."

Now, as Pitts concludes his first academic year as director of Horace Mann and the Leet Center, he describes being back in the building "like walking back in time."

"When you leave here and go to other places, you buy into their things and create your own as a leader," Pitts said. "And then to come back and see that some of the things are still the same, and a lot of the things are different, too, for good reason."

Horace Mann and the Leet Center serve children at ages 12 months through sixth grade and provides hands-on, project-based learning with an individualized approach with small class sizes and multiple teachers. While master teachers provide a unique learning environment for all students that includes innovative best practices and exemplary educational experiences, Horace Mann and Leet Center also serve as valuable clinical teaching settings for Northwest students training to become professional educators, as Pitts did.

After spending almost two decades as the principal of a different school, Pitts has had to familiarize himself with an entirely new structure.

"Having a school on a university campus is a very unique situation, so there's just been a lot of learning the system and the resources," Pitts said. "It's been good for my brain; there's been a lot of fresh information. Everyone's been great and patient with me, because I'm not a young dog anymore, and it takes me a little longer to learn new tricks."

As Pitts is finishing his first school year as director, he continues to develop new ideas to promote growth and learning for students with a specific focus on building leadership skills.

"I'm always looking for things," Pitts said. "I want to try and instill some more leadership in our kids and create an environment that allows them to do some more leadership things."

Pitts received his bachelor's degree in education from Northwest in 1995 and began working as a paraprofessional at the former Washington Middle School in Maryville, where he took on a fifth-grade teaching position soon after.

He was hired as the principal of South Harrison Elementary School in Bethany, Missouri, three years later. He earned his master's degree in education from Northwest in 2000 and then accepted the role of assistant principal at Maryville Middle School in 2001. After two years in that position, Pitts was promoted to principal.

Throughout his time in the Maryville R-II School District, Pitts achieved many career successes, including obtaining an education specialist degree in 2011 from Northwest. In 2016, he received the Northwest Regional Distinguished Principal Award, presented by the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals, for his dedication to implementing "Leader in Me" curriculum at Maryville Middle School.

Pitts credits much of his success as an educator to the Northwest community. Being an alumnus of the University, he has always felt a strong connection with the School of Education. He has taken advantage of many opportunities to stay involved with the teacher training program, including by speaking to Northwest students and serving on advisory committees, which he believes is a testament to the longstanding connection the University provides its alumni.

"It's been a blessing, and it's just a good University," Pitts said.

As Pitts navigates this role as director of Horace Mann, he remains grateful for the patience and support from the Northwest community and hopes to continue fostering a positive experience for students.

"I just want to create the best, safest environment for our kids to be themselves, have appreciation for individuals and make leaders out of everyone," Pitts said.