Superintendent Outlines Goals of PLC

Superintendent of Cape Girardeau Public Schools Dr. Jim Welker recently outlined the goals of a district-wide instructional initiative being rolled out this school year. "This summer we began the process of becoming a district-wide Professional Learning Community (PLC)," he said. "While the implementation continues for several years, I am extremely excited about beginning the process."

PLC is based on three main ideas: (1) a strong focus on student learning; (2) building a collaborative culture through high-performing teams; (3) a focus on results using data. The district formed a leadership team consisting of administrators and teacher leaders from all ten of its elementary and secondary campuses, in addition to central office staff, which attended workshops this summer sponsored by the PLC resource specialist of the Southeast Regional Professional Development Center and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Those teams in turn organized teams on their respective campuses which will attend a series of workshops throughout the coming school year.

"In a PLC environment we ask four basic questions," Dr. Sherry Copeland, assistant superintendent for instruction, explained. "The first question, obviously, is what do we want children to learn? Next, how do we know when they have learned? Then, what do we do when they haven't learned, and finally, what do we do when they have learned? But that's just the beginning--we will be examining each school's mission, vision and commitments and formulating a plan of action to support, strengthen and motivate both faculty and students," she said. "We are all on the same journey of improving student achievement."

Welker noted, "We have an excellent district and an excellent staff. We are now in year one of a multi-year process of communication, collaboration and implementation of a Professional Learning Community. It will be an exciting journey for Cape Girardeau Public Schools."