By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph public school officials are poring over the report card issued by the state, working to make improvements in the score compiled by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
St. Joseph school Superintendent Gabe Edgar says attendance remains a stubborn problem for the district.
“Attendance is the biggest one from a challenge standpoint,” Edgar tells reporters during a news conference. “But as far as the report is concerned, I don’t necessarily look at the bottom-line score, I look at where we make improvements and where we need to make improvements.”
Attendance rose from around 71% to 79%, but still fell just shy of the 80% state standard.
St. Joseph, along with every Missouri public school district, is having trouble recruiting and retaining teachers. Veteran teachers are retiring and not enough students are choosing education. In Missouri, around 5,000 teachers leave the profession for various reasons with only 3,500 leaving Missouri colleges with education degrees.
As for academics, Edgar says that while the scores released by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education show improvement in Social Studies test scores, they disclose a weakness in math and Language Arts.
“And we need to look at those offerings, look at options for embedded credits for students,” Edgar says. “There are things out there. When I told you about thinking outside the box, that’s what we’re going to have to do.”
Edgar suggests each student needs more individualized educational plans, similar to the individual education plans devised for Special Education students. The superintendent says that is something school officials are discussing.
Edgar says pay remains a barrier to attracting quality candidates for teachers and state lawmakers need to address the fact that Missouri ranks near or at the bottom in teacher pay.
“Right now, they’re funding the formula,” according to Edgar. “They’re funding the formula that was built in 2006. So, maybe it’s time for a new funding formula. I don’t know what the answer is.”