Bass, Schuett to be inducted into Culver-Stockton College Education Hall of Excellence

CANTON, Mo. — William “Bill” Bass, Class of 1995, and Kurt C. Schuett, Class of 1997, will be inducted into the Culver-Stockton College (C-SC) Education Hall of Excellence during a ceremony Tuesday, April 15, at C-SC.

Bass attended Culver-Stockton from 1991 to 1995, graduating with a degree in English education. He spent the early part of his teaching career in middle and high schools and served as a soccer coach. He earned a master’s degree in instructional technology with an emphasis in instructional design and holds a post-master’s certificate in online learning.

Bass currently serves as the innovation coordinator for Instructional technology, information, library media and federal programs in the Parkway School District in St. Louis. He leads the district’s library and instructional technology programs, oversees grants and federal programs and creates conditions to foster district-wide innovation in classrooms.

Throughout his more than 20-year career in education, Bass has held roles as a middle and high school English teacher, technology integration specialist, instructional coach, adjunct professor, graduate course designer for an edtech master’s program and educational consultant. As a speaker, writer and professional developer, he focuses on systemic and sustainable technology integration at all grade levels, working to empower both students and teachers through authentic learning experiences.

He has received several honors, including the ISTE Making IT Happen Award, the Divergent Award for Excellence in Literacy in a Digital Age Research, recognition as one of NSBA’s “20 to Watch” EdTech Leaders, and Teacher of the Year at Hazelwood East High School.

Bass has served as past president of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) board of directors and as a member of the executive committee for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). He frequently consults with edtech startups and national organizations and is an international presenter and speaker, collaborating with educators around the globe.

Bass has authored numerous articles and book chapters, as well as four books: “From Inspiration to Red Carpet” (ISTE, 2012), “Digital Reading: What’s Essential in Grades 3–8” (NCTE, 2015) and two editions of “Leading from the Library” (ISTE, 2019).

Schuett attended Culver-Stockton College from 1993 to 1997, graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor of srts degree in English with secondary education. At C-SC, he was an active participant in campus life, playing baseball and holding leadership positions in Greek life as vice president and alumni chair of Lambda Chi Alpha, as well as serving on the interfraternity council.

Schuett received numerous honors during his time at Culver-Stockton, including the Myron F. Johnson Award, the Shannon Hall Award, the Lambda Chi Alpha Highest GPA Award, and the Guy Cooper Poetry Award.

He earned a master’s degree in education in 2009 and a doctorate of education in 2021. In 2020, he was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success at Concordia University Chicago.

He began his teaching career at Clark County R-I High School in Kahoka, where he taught English and German and coached multiple sports, including softball, baseball, basketball and track. He later returned to the Chicagoland area and has taught English at East Leyden High School since 2000. He also teaches AP Research as part of the College Board’s AP Capstone Program and serves as an adjunct professor at Concordia University Chicago.

Since 2005, Schuett has served as the head varsity softball coach at Leyden, where his teams have set school and state records and earned multiple championships. He is particularly proud that 60 of his former players have gone on to compete in collegiate softball while earning degrees — seven of them began their journeys at Culver-Stockton College.

Schuett was named the Illinois Coaches Association Softball Coach of the Year in 2024 and previously coached a team that earned national recognition from ESPN as a Fab 50 Girls Softball Team in 2012.

In addition to his achievements as an educator and coach, he is an accomplished writer, with widely published short stories and poetry. He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize and is the author of the dystopian novel “Insurgency” and the academic book “Beyond Digital Distraction: Educating Today’s Cyber Student” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).

The Culver-Stockton College Education Hall of Excellence award has been given annually to alumni who have distinguished themselves professionally in the field of education, brought honor to Culver-Stockton College and/or made significant contributions to the college and/or their community. The award was established in 2007.