Some have likened America’s educational system to an imperiled ship, buffeted about and taking on water with each so-called reform that blows through like a hurricane. The current ugly storm rocking Missouri’s public schools surrounds the implementation of the Common Core State Standard Initiative (CCSSI) brought into our state by Governor Nixon and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in 2009/10. Multiple laws prohibit federal involvement in the details of education. Missouri law requires that the legislature be responsible for educational standards and that each local school board be allowed to alter as they see fit. But none of that stopped the governor from bypassing the legislature and signing Missouri onto the CCSSI anyway. The CCSSI encompasses hollow
- Nov 04,
The fall season ushers in shorter days, chilly evenings and traditions richly rooted in curious lore. Halloween occurs every year on the 31st day of October but the preparations marketed by retailers begin in late August. Pumpkins, straw bales, corn stalks, fall-colored wreaths and vibrant mums abound to inspire the home décor enthusiasts but it’s the bustling of excited kids rummaging through the crowded racks of crazy costumes and accessories that captures the spirit of Halloween. To most Halloween revelers, the holiday is an opportunity to decorate the house, host themed parties, carve pumpkins, dress up in fun costumes and score on some serious candy by trick-or-treating. Most don’t inquire about the history that spawned the festivities we engage in;
Oct 31,Our kids are off and running in this 2014-15 school year. Regardless of what grade your child is in, it’s never too early to start exploring the possibilities available to them post high school and how to navigate that road to college. Getting them to that day where they wave goodbye to you from their over-stuffed car as it’s pulling out of your driveway takes forethought and a considerable amount of focused planning. For expert advice on this subject I contacted Sandie Price, a parent and educator with a master’s in early childhood education and a master’s in school counseling. Price worked as a High School Guidance Counselor in the Poplar Bluff R-1 School District from 1984 to 2013.
Oct 09,Sikeston, Mo. - Driven by deep faith in God and love of her family, friends and community, country singer, Anna Catherine DeHart, is a very talented young woman on a mission; to pursue her passion for music and singing. Raised in Sikeston, MO., Anna Catherine stepped foot on the road of performing at the age of 12, and is following that road all the way to the big time in Music City. At the rate she is going, that day may not be so far away. I was driving somewhere recently and listening to Poplar Bluff’s KKLR, when a really good song grabbed my attention; it was ‘Rhinestone Lover’. I actually heard it twice that day and realized it was
Aug 26,“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” — Socrates How profoundly true are Socrates’ words! Fundamentally speaking, a human IS what he/she knows. From the second we emerge from our mother’s cloistered cocoon, the rapid-fire learning experience ensues. Learning is both conscious and unconscious as we are wired to make sense of the world around us. We are learning all the time, creating knowledge out of each experience, innately driven by the curiosity imbedded in our souls. One of the greatest gifts we can bestow upon the children entrusted to our care is guiding them down the path of a life-long love of learning. The public school model meets a vast array of educational
Aug 20,