Excelsior Springs, Mo. –Abby Turner has spent nearly two decades growing confidence in speech and language for the students of the Excelsior Springs School District. Now practicing as a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) at Cornerstone, she has been named their Teacher of the Year.
Turner has worked in nearly every building in the district, now serving students at Cornerstone Elementary. Her journey to Excelsior began in the suburbs of Chicago, led her through graduate work in Oregon, and eventually brought her to Missouri alongside her husband..They settled in Excelsior Springs, where they have raised four children—each of whom came through the district she works diligently in. .
“My mom was a special education teacher at a self-contained school for kids with complex needs,” Turner shared. “During the summers, I’d go to work with her. I spent a lot of time around the students there.”
It was in that environment that Turner first observed the powerful role of a speech-language pathologist, which resulted in an early interest, “I remember seeing the speech person working with the kids, and I thought, that’s what I want to do,” she said.
Turner purposefully chose a career that blends science with empathy. Over the years, she has worked with countless students with speech and language needs throughout the district. But it’s not just the breadth of her experience that stands out—it’s how she continually adapts her approach to serve each student as an individual.
In recent years, she’s embraced creative scheduling and shortened, high-impact sessions to reduce classroom time missed while maximizing the effectiveness of therapy. “I’ve tried pulling students for just a few minutes at a time to do focused drills,” she said. “It’s about being more intentional time and making it count.”
She uses any resources she can to help students progress, and makes sure to approach each case with care. “It’s all about customizing what we do. Some kids might need 10 minutes a week. Others might need 90. The key is to make sure speech or language issues aren’t getting in the way of their academic success,” she explained.
But Turner is quick to point out that her work doesn’t happen in a vacuum. “The classroom teachers are the experts on their students,” she said. “I learn so much from them. Collaboration is everything.”
Turner feels extremely motivated when she sees kids progress and sometimes graduate from speech-language sessions, with their parents sharing progress outside of the classroom. Kids show less frustration when they can speak and be understood well, which she says translates to all areas of life.
Outside of school, she has raised four children and has been married for over 20 years to her husband, a professor at UMKC and a pastor of a small church in Polo. There, Turner helps lead worship, sometimes alongside her children, and genuinely enjoys time with family and community.
In her free time, she’s developed what she calls a “sourdough hobby,” and has even shared her starter and bread-making tips with fellow teachers. “It’s something completely separate from what I do at school,” she said. “But it’s still about patience, process, and seeing growth over time.”
The metaphor isn’t lost on her. “With kids, like with sourdough, it takes time,” she said. “And it’s not a linear journey. Sometimes you fail. But you learn. You keep going. And eventually, you see results.”
Turner’s work may often happen behind the scenes or in quick, personalized, intense sessions, but the impact ripples outward. Into classrooms, into homes, and throughout the community she’s served for over 17 years. “I don’t think I would’ve stayed as long as I have if I wasn’t investing in my own community,” she said. “But that’s what makes it meaningful. These are our kids, our neighbors, our future.”
In recognizing Abigail Turner as Teacher of the Year, Cornerstone honors not only her dedication to students, but her lasting commitment to the town she now calls home. And like the sourdough she tends with care and consistency, her work continues to rise—one student, one family, one voice at a time.
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