NEW CAPE PLAN OFFERS ANSWERS FOR EDUCATION

A new educational alliance between the Cape Girardeau School District and Southeast Missouri State University has all the elements of becoming a potentially winning program in establishing strategies to restructure elementary and secondary education within the district.

Formation of a "Cooperative Alliance for Public Education" comes at a time when the Cape Girardeau district, like many school districts in Missouri, is faced with budget restraints and budget cuts. By further tapping the resources within the university's College of Education, the alliance can become a means of providing more for the school district's dollar, and more in the delivery of education to the city's children.

In announcing the formation of CAPE, district Superintendent Neyland Clark pointed out that the university and school district have had a long association in regards to education, but, until now, there had not been a formal structure for cooperative efforts. He said in view of tight funding, the pooling of resources was absolutely necessary if the district is to continue to deliver the level of services it has in the past.

The dean of the university's College of Education, Lenore Bierbaum, cited the importance of the college and the school district working together. When faculty members have strong relationships with public schools, teachers and children, they are linked to the "real world" of education, she pointed out. The university's excellent teacher-education program can only become better with faculty members and education students being further exposed to that real world of public education.

Many projects are envisioned by the alliance. One is establishment of a math and science academy that would involve the sharing of math and science educators between the school district and the university. The best instruction available in math and science will go a long way in meeting the federal Department of Education's emphasis on math and science teaching.

Another is establishment of additional field sites and internships in the district for university students, and providing additional assistance to district teachers and administrators. Both the district and university again would benefit.

The Cape Girardeau School District is fortunate to have at its disposal the university's College of Education, and the district and university are to be commended for embarking on such an innovative undertaking. We look forward to its results.