GENERAL SESSION OF TEACHERS' DISTRICT MEETING SHOWS LIGHT TURNOUT

Less than 10 percent of Southeast Missouri teachers attended a general session of the Missouri State Teacher's Association district meeting Friday.

The general session is held annually before a day of professional development workshops and departmental meetings. The event, held at Academic Auditorium at Southeast Missouri State University, attracted about 600 teachers, possibly the lowest attendance since the event was started in 1876.

"I would say attendance is strong," said district officer Gene Brunkhorst. "We feel like we've accomplished what we set out to do."

Brunkhorst said the low attendance at the general session is misleading because other events were being held at the same time. Some 100 retired teachers attended a meeting at a local church during the general session, while about 50 members of Phi Delta Kappa professional organization were completing a breakfast elsewhere on campus.

In addition, many educators who opted not to attend the general session would attend various departmental meetings and seminars held following the general session, he said.

"The general session just becomes one of those workshop opportunities then," said Brunkhorst. "It's not the flagship it once was."

The general session is viewed as a time of motivation by MSTA leaders, commendation for honored colleagues, and consideration for educational goals and objectives, said Sheryl Smith-Woeltje, MSTA district coordinator. Due to modern technology and specialization, education has become very specialized, and many teachers don't want to take the time to attend a meeting that won't result in a learning tool or skill they can apply to their job.

"For those who need motivation, then the general session is what they want, but for others, their value system is If I can't use it in the classroom I'm going to do something else,'" she said.

First-year teacher Melissa Schwab, an English teacher at Leopold High School, said she was required to attend the meeting as part of her certification process. She said some teachers skip the district meeting because they want to complete personal tasks or spend time with their families.

Schwab said she believes attendance at the meeting should be mandatory, especially in school districts that dismiss classes for the event.

"It makes you think and makes you proud to do what you do," said Schwab, who was attending the meeting for the first time. "I think people don't have that many days off in a year, and sometimes personal choice outweighs professional commitments."

Judy Ketchum, a computer science teacher at South Pemiscot Elementary School in Steele, said her district required attendance at the meeting, although no attendance records are maintained during the general session. Attendance records are kept at departmental meetings, and South Pemiscot teachers who did not attend lost a personal day, she said.

Ketchum, a 26-year member of MSTA, said veteran teachers skip the meeting due to "burn-out," and many teachers are overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork that has been added to their jobs over the years. She said the district meeting needs to continue to encourage teachers not to become discouraged and leave their profession.

"I feel so many teachers are burned out," Ketchum said. "I'm interested in MSTA activities because we need to keep our educators in education, especially the older ones."

Several teachers who declined to identify themselves said many of their colleagues find little use in the general session. The departmental meetings are more relevant, but overall, the district meeting needs to be revamped.

"We're honoring teachers who, of course, need to be honored, but not everyone wants to listen to a speaker or hear the basic, general comments that go on," said one teacher. "They just need to make it more in line with what teachers want today."

Smith-Woeltje and Brunkhorst said the district meeting is constantly being revised to meet the needs of teachers. The addition of special interest workshops, including a beginning teacher assistance program and Teacher of the Year workshop, which provides tips on application completion and presentation for the statewide competition, are new additions that target teacher interests, they said.

Despite low attendance at the district meeting, Brunkhorst said interest in MSTA has not waned over the years. The Southeast Missouri district is nearing 5,000 members, nearly 83 percent of all teachers in the region. That's a testament to the strength of the organization and the services it provides, he said.

"The bottom line for us is our membership, and our membership has increased," said Brunkhorst. "We're meeting the needs, but it's multi-faceted. You don't just come to one session and get it."