Springfield's Tom Prater appointed to state school board, replaces Peter Herschend

Springfield eye surgeon and longtime public servant Tom Prater has been appointed to serve on the Missouri Board of Education.

He was appointed Friday by Gov. Mike Parson.

Prater, a former member of the Springfield school board and city council, will take the seat that has been filled by Peter Herschend ― a member of the Branson family behind Silver Dollar City ― since 1991.

"There is no way I can fill Peter's shoes," Prater said at the start of the interview.

Herschend was first appointed to the state board in December 1991. He left the board briefly in mid-2017 but was re-appointed in 2018. His term expired in July 2023 but he has continued to serve.

"Peter and I have been talking for quite a while. I have always been impressed with the work he did and his phenomenal devotion to education. He asked me one day if I'd be interested in serving after he left and that has been several years ago. We have been talking on and off ever since."

Prater, one of two individuals appointed to the state board Friday, practices at Mattax-Neu-Prater Eye Center in Springfield. He previously served as president of the school board and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. He has also been on the board for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

"My priority has always been trying to improve education for the kids," Prater said. "I am not going into this position with an agenda. I am going into it with the attitude of what can we do to make education in our state better."

Prater said he closely followed the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Blue Ribbon Commission, which was created by the state board, and resulted in a series of immediate and long-term recommendations.

The Springfield native has a bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University and his medical degree from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He completed a residency in ophthalmology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Parson also appointed Tawni Hunt Ferrarini, of St. Charles, to fill the seat of Donald Claycomb, of Linn. Ferrarini and Prater must be confirmed by the Missouri Senate.

If approved, Ferrarini's term will expire in 2029 and Prater's term will expire in 2031.

As part of the announcement, Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven said: “Tawni and Tom are clearly engaged in the education community and committed to serving others, so we look forward to welcoming them to the state board and working with them to serve students, educators, and schools statewide."

Ferrarini is currently the Robert W. Plaster Professor of Economic Education at Lindenwood University's Hammond Institute. She works with the College of Education and Human Services to create programs at Lindenwood to train educators on how to teach economics and financial literacy and improve economics education statewide.

She also serves as a faculty scholar for the Fraser Institute, in Canada; Council on Economic Education, in Japan; and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, in Michigan.

Ferrarini earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and master’s and doctorate degrees in economics from Washington University in St. Louis.

Claycomb has been on the state board since August 2018.

“As a former educator, Don has a passion for public education that is evident and we thank him for continuing his service to Missouri students and teachers by serving on the State Board,” said state board president Charlie Shields, in a release. “His perspective has been truly invaluable.”

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Tom Prater named to Missouri school board, replacing Peter Herschend