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A Few Clouds ~ River stage: 14.04 ft. Rising Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 |
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An open letter to Southeast Missouri
Posted Saturday, July 16, at 3:45 AM I'm leaving. I didn't plan it that way. My family and I have become quite the Cape Girardeans in our 10-month stay. We know how to pronounce Dennis Scivally Park now, and we're fully acclimated to our next-door neighbor's mufflerless pickup truck as alarm clock...
2 education success stories - and a "Doogie Howser" reference Something must be working in education. In Sunday's edition of the Southeast Missourian you'll find from yours truly two education success stories. With all that we read that's wrong, here are a couple of cases where things seem to be right on. The first is a story about the vast, vast majority of kindergartners and first-graders reading at or above grade level thanks to an all-volunteer literacy program at Blanchard Elementary and at four elementary schools in Jackson...
The second word my Maggie learned, the one right after "Mama," was "Self" -- as in, "Back off, dad, I can do it myself." Whether she's working a puzzle or scaling the Chrysler Building with suction cups, Maggie doesn't need any help, thank you very much. She would drive a car if her little toddler feet could reach the pedals. Her blankie would ride shotgun, like Thelma, or Louise...
Late bloomers - Cape pilot summer school program promises better retention And a child shall lead them. In the case of the Cape Girardeau School District, scores of children will lead a new summer school pilot program aimed at boosting education retention. The district is launching a later summer school schedule for students in grades K-6, running July 25-Aug. 5. It's a remedial program, targeted for students who have fallen behind in core subject areas...
The education litmus test Sherry Copeland says she saw in the Cape Girardeau School District the answer to a critical question she's often asked in her more than two decades in education: Is it a school system she would be comfortable sending her children, her grandchildren, to...
This just in - BREAKING NEWS! Osama bin Laden dead. Historic floods in the Heartland. The Royal Wedding. Man, if there's been a busier news cycle than this, I'm too tired to remember. But it's going to get a lot busier, my friends. A bomb shell is about to drop on front pages and news network newscasts everywhere. And I expect this news will resonate for years...
Blessings from the mother-in-law I never met I never knew her, but I'm grateful for her every day of my life. Her name was -- is -- Sally Block, the mother-in-law I never met. Sally passed away in August 1998, another victim of cancer. But her spirit remains a strong and steady force in the lives of her children. I know. I married her daughter, Emily. And based on the stories I've heard about Sally over the years, I've come to believe Emily is a lot like her mother -- particularly when it comes to being a mom...
Teachers make a difference Scott McMullen has walked on both sides of the proposition that teachers can change the world. The veteran educator recently was tapped to lead the Cape Girardeau Alternative Education Center. There are a lot of people in this area that will tell you the school district could not have made a better selection...
Raising the bar - at some point, perhaps Missouri's public schools will get a reprieve -- for now, anyway -- on stepped-up state standards. State education officials on Wednesday voted to temporarily withdraw from the formal rule-making process a proposal that would raise the bar on public school accountability and performance, according to a Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education news release...
Profiles in courage- stories of living with autism Let me tell you about courage. The kind I never want to have to know. Jessica Simmers lives it every day. You might have seen Jessica and her blonde hair, angelic-face little boy on the front page of the Southeast Missourian this week. Let me take you back...
Jackson celebrates 5 extraordinary teachers You probably already know this but there are some tremendous educators in Southeast Missouri. Thursday night, Jackson saluted its "cream of the crop." The Jackson Chamber of Commerce held its 2011 Educator of the Year Awards at the Jackson Knights of Columbus Hall...
Southeast at center of U.S. higher education this week Cape Girardeau's collective IQ and academic clout have climbed this week. Southeast Missouri State University is playing host to the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' board of directors. AASCU is a big acronym with big representation...
Bittersweet memories from "hell week" They call it "hell week," and it lives up to its billing. For members of the Red Dagger, Cape Girardeau Central High School's storied theater program, hell week is as hot as it gets right now -- a day before opening night. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the curtain rises on the club's production of "Rumors," Neil Simon's classic farce about affluent couples who gather for a dinner party only to discover their hostess is missing and their host has shot himself through the earlobe. ...
Can you solve the math of graduation? Do the math. Graduation Rate= [Graduates divided by (9th-12th Grade Cohort Dropouts + Graduates)] X 100 Huh? That's the formula for determining the graduation rate in Missouri. If that sounds like fuzzy math to you, you're not alone. It's a head scratcher for many in public education...
Good kids doing great things We read the bad news about America's children and we're often quick to forget all the good things our kids are doing. Cape Girardeau School Board President Paul Nenninger earlier this week reminded his peers of the service work Cape Girardeau's young people are doing...
Is the governor smarter than an 11th grader? If you're looking for reasons why the Jackson School District has had so much academic success over the years, Ken Markin's AP American History class is a good place to start. During his tour of Jackson High School last week, Gov. Jay Nixon paid a call on the class of Jackson High juniors...
A soldier named Lucky The documents are scattered about my desk, covering the floor around me. It looks like a paper bomb exploded on this corner of the Southeast Missourian newsroom. It did -- in a manner of speaking. In a few hours, this newspaper is going to introduce you to a soldier named Lucky. ...
One for Stiles - Homage to a classic newspaperman The curmudgeon has lung cancer. John Stiles, a copy editor I used to work with in a former journalism life, is supposed to be heading into surgery this morning. That's what I hear from the newspaper grapevine, anyway, and Facebook chatter. I still can't believe that old Luddite is on The Facebook...
Meet the masterpieces You're going to meet a couple of outstanding women in Sunday's Southeast Missourian. They're art teachers with nearly a half-century of experience combined helping students in Cape Girardeau's public schools see the big picture. And they are being recognized as the best at what they do in the state of Missouri. Plenty of people who know them will tell you the honor is long overdue...
School boards - the front step of American democracy If you need a reminder that American democracy is not on its deathbed, pop into your local school board meeting sometime. One in particular comes to mind. In Scott City last week, some 70 citizens turned out for a school board meeting, many expressing their ardent disapproval of the Scott City School District's dress code policy...
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M.D. Kittle is the education reporter for the Southeast Missourian.
His media career began in a little log cabin in southwest Wisconsin in the late 1980s, where he spent much of his wasted youth in radio. After a decade in news/talk and music radio, Kittle grew up and got a real job in newspapers. He joins the Southeast Missourian after nine years toiling in northern newspapers, including a freelance stint with the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel. He also has worked at a bagel factory. In this blog, Kittle will offer the stories behind the stories in Southeast Missouri education.
Hot topics An open letter to Southeast Missouri(  2 ~ 9:22 PM, Jul 16)
2 education success stories - and a "Doogie Howser" reference
Ms. Independent turns 2
Late bloomers - Cape pilot summer school program promises better retention
The education litmus test
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