[00:00:02] **Announcer:**
It’s time to get in the loop with LPS, the official podcast of Liberty Public Schools. From the latest district news to opportunities to meet the people who help make LPS great, *In the Loop with LPS* is here to help us stay connected.

[00:00:24] **Announcer:**
Let’s get started and send you to the longtime Director of Communications and your host, Dallas Ackerman.

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## **INTRODUCTION**

[00:00:35] **Dallas Ackerman:**
Hello again, everyone. We are back for another week of *In the Loop with LPS*. I’m your host, Dallas Ackerman, Director of Communications for Liberty Public Schools — and down the stretch we come! We are days away from the end of the 2023–2024 school year.

It has been a season of celebrations — and none bigger than the announcement a few weeks ago naming our **2024–2025 LPS District Teacher of the Year**. Today, we are so excited to be joined by her: **Erin Ramsey**, math teacher at Liberty High School. Erin, congratulations on this incredible honor! Were you surprised?

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## **REACTION TO THE SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT**

[00:02:08] **Erin Ramsey:**
So surprised. I didn’t even know we had moved into that part of the process. I had zero expectations — I just do what I need to do every day, and it never feels like anything extraordinary. So yes, it was a huge surprise.

[00:02:52] **Dallas Ackerman:**
We posted the whole reveal — on an early release Wednesday, during your staff meeting. Dr. Sharp helped coordinate, and I wound up in the very warm Blue Jay mascot suit. Staff had been guessing who was inside. Who did *you* think it was?

[00:03:33] **Erin Ramsey:**
I guessed Dr. Tucker — which would have shocked me! Even after you took off the head, I still didn’t understand what was happening. Then Dr. Sharp opened the garage door and my whole family was standing there. That’s when it started to click. I was floored.

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## **ABOUT ERIN RAMSEY**

[00:04:33] **Dallas Ackerman:**
Let’s back up. Many across the district may not know your story. Take us back — who is Erin Ramsey?

[00:04:56] **Erin Ramsey:**
I’m originally from the Kansas City area — my family lived in Blue Springs. Just before my eighth birthday, we moved to the Bay Area in California. I lived there until age 25, attended college there, and taught my first two years in San Jose public schools.

I’m the oldest of four siblings, always the “mother hen.” When I was little and people asked what I wanted to be, the answer was always *a teacher*. I never imagined I’d become a math teacher — that part came later.

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## **COMING TO LIBERTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS**

[00:07:05] **Erin Ramsey:**
When I moved back to Missouri, I needed a job immediately. I started teaching seventh grade in the Fort Osage School District — and I loved it. But I knew high school was where I wanted to be.

After one year, I interviewed at LPS with Dr. Jacobs (who was transitioning to Liberty North), then with Dr. Rosecrans. I was hired and have been here **15 years**. I truly feel like I’ve grown up here.

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## **WHY MATH?**

[00:08:53] **Dallas Ackerman:**
Why math?

[00:08:53] **Erin Ramsey:**
Long story! I originally majored in elementary education. In California, elementary majors choose a concentration — mine was math only because it came easily to me, even though I thought it was boring.

Everything changed in college when I began taking math education courses. Professors explained *why* math works, not just how. It was engaging and creative. I thought, “Why did no one ever teach it to me like this?”

Eventually, I switched my major to math with the goal of teaching high school. I wanted to be the teacher I *wish* I’d had.

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## **ADVICE FOR STUDENTS (AND PARENTS!) STRUGGLING WITH MATH**

[00:11:46] **Erin Ramsey:**
Anyone can do math. Truly.

But society treats “I’m not good at math” like a badge of honor — something you’d never hear someone say about reading. Kids internalize that from a young age.

Math requires creativity, resilience, and willingness to try different strategies. It’s not about instant answers or memorizing formulas. It’s about mindset. And my goal is to help students build confidence they didn’t know they had.

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## **STRENGTHS IN THE CLASSROOM**

[00:14:23] **Erin Ramsey:**
I’d say a big strength is connecting content to the bigger picture — helping students understand *why* something matters.

But the biggest one? Believing so strongly that every student can do it that they begin believing it themselves.

I geek out about math — unashamedly! — and the kids get swept up in that energy. Some even come back later and say my class inspired them to pursue engineering. Nothing tops that feeling.

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## **MENTORING NEW TEACHERS**

[00:16:45] **Erin Ramsey:**
Mentoring is one of my passions. The first few years of teaching are incredibly hard. Burnout is real.

I had phenomenal mentors when I started — leaders like Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Adams. Now I try to be that person for others: someone safe, supportive, and judgment-free. We’ve all been new before.

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## **HOW TEACHING HAS CHANGED**

[00:19:47] **Erin Ramsey:**
Students are different, society is different, and technology has changed *everything*.

When I started teaching, not every student had a cell phone. We used computer labs with old iMacs. Now we run models, analyze data instantly, and incorporate powerful digital tools — it’s a blessing and a challenge.

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## **YOUNG ERIN THE “TEACHER”**

[00:21:10] **Erin Ramsey:**
The baby-doll teaching story is true! My little sister sat through countless “lessons” because she didn’t know any better.

I even kept a chalkboard in the garage where I worked math problems for fun — including creating my own geometry proofs in 8th grade. My dad would walk out and say, “Nerd alert!” I guess math was meant for me all along.

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# **THREE RANDOM QUESTIONS**

### **1. First thing you'll do on day one of summer vacation?**

[00:23:42] **Erin Ramsey:**
Sleep in. Maybe nap again later. Sit outside, read a book, enjoy an iced coffee, and decompress. Teachers *definitely* look forward to summer!

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### **2. Favorite vacation spot?**

[00:26:09] **Erin Ramsey:**
Mexico. I love being near the beach… from the pool. I’m not a sand person! Jamaica was wonderful too — especially when the pool was ten feet from the ocean.

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### **3. Hardest part of getting back into school routine in August?**

[00:27:52] **Erin Ramsey:**
The physical toll. Losing my voice in week one is a guarantee. My feet hurt, my back hurts — teaching is *physical*. It takes about ten days for my body to adjust again.

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## **THE MOST MEANINGFUL MESSAGE SHE RECEIVED**

[00:30:27] **Erin Ramsey:**
I’ve received amazing messages, but a couple stand out:

* A former student (now a teacher in LPS) told me my class is the reason she became a teacher.
* A neighbor — also a former student — said she wanted to order a yard sign because she was so excited.

There’s nothing better than hearing from former students.

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## **FUTURE PLANS**

[00:31:36] **Erin Ramsey:**
I don’t see myself leaving the classroom anytime soon. This is what I love. This is my sweet spot — working with kids every day. Opportunities have come up, but I’m not done teaching.

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[00:34:26] **Dallas Ackerman:**
Erin, thank you for representing Liberty Public Schools so well. Rest, refresh, enjoy summer — and we look forward to seeing you in August.

[00:35:01] **Announcer:**
Thanks for joining us on *In the Loop with LPS*. For more information, visit lps53.org.