NEA OFFICIALS MEET WITH CAPE TEACHERS

A group of Cape Girardeau teachers met with representatives of the Missouri National Education Association last week as part of an informational campaign by the association in Southeast Missouri.

Don Hicks, director of the Southeast Missouri office, said that about 35 teachers attended the informational dinner.

"Usually we do those things in response to someone calling and asking for more information," Hicks said. "In Cape, we sent the faculty a letter asking them to meet with us if they were interested. We held a similar event in Caruthersville."

Hicks said he has received several calls from individuals who attended the Thursday meeting in Cape Girardeau.

"We are introducing ourselves to Southeast Missouri teachers," Hicks said. "We don't have a high membership in Southeast Missouri, although we do have members in almost every district.

"Our membership is highest in Springfield, Jefferson City and the suburban districts of St. Louis and Kansas City," Hicks said.

He said active MNEA groups are found in the Poplar Bluff, Portageville and Woodlawn school districts.

Hicks, who works from an office in Sikeston, said NEA has 23,000 members in Missouri and more than 2 million members nationwide.

"We are an advocate for public education and teachers," he said. "We represent a majority of all classroom teachers (in the nation).

"We're here to offer our program and services," Hicks said.

The association's six goals include increasing school funding, improving retirement benefits, making collective bargaining a choice, developing statewide health insurance, reducing class size in K-3 and establishing a standards board.

"We also run a political action committee supporting pro-public education candidates for office," he said.

Hicks said the Sikeston office opened in July 1990. It serves all Southeast Missouri, from Poplar Bluff through the Bootheel up through Perryville.