Around Southeast Missouri 3/28/07

New teaching positions created for Poplar Bluff

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Three new special education positions were unanimously approved by the Poplar Bluff School Board Thursday. The new positions, IEP facilitators, will help decrease the amount of paperwork required of special education teachers, said Amy Jackson, associate superintendent in charge of special services. IEP facilitators will also work to decrease the amount of time teachers are out of their classroom for special education demands and increase time teachers spend on teaching children with special needs. The facilitators are part of a pilot program to be implemented next year in kindergarten through sixth grade. Special education teachers already employed by R-I schools will fill the new positions. A new behavior intervention classroom was also approved by the Board. Commonly called a SWIN classroom, it allows students with intensive needs such as autism and other challenges a place to decompress so other students aren't distracted. It will be the R-I's second SWIN classroom. It will be at Oak Grove and will be available to all students in the district.

-- Daily American Republic, Poplar Bluff

Southland to construct 8 elementary classrooms

CARDWELL, Mo. -- The Southland School Board authorized a project to construct eight additional elementary classrooms Thursday. Three bids for the project were considered with Stone Bridge Construction of Jonesboro, Ill., the lowest bidder. The classrooms will be build east of the multipurpose building. Superintendent Raymond Lasley said Southland has been saving up for the classrooms for four years. He expects two of the classrooms to be completed by fall with the others to be constructed during the school year.

-- Daily Dunklin Democrat