Mary Kasten is the state representative for district #158. It is her mission is to "Ensure that every Missouri student has the best educational opportunities possible". She has been on the school board for 20 years and is the past president of The Missouri School Board Association. Mary has a long, committed history of service to our community and our schools.
I live in Cape Girardeau and I love my community. However, I am not blind to critical issues we face that need real solutions~and I'm talking about education. Cape Girardeau public schools are currently struggling to get up to speed with the rest of the nation. No Child Left Behind, with all of its red tape has added a whole new level of complexity to our public edcucation system and highlighted at the same time some disturbing facts. You can get the full skinny in this update from an article from the seMissourian.com: "Five schools in Cape, two in Jackson fail to meet testing standards". We have across the 'board' issues to address. In just one of the 7 schools mentioned:
"Last year -- the first year that fifth- and sixth-graders took the state tests -- the middle school failed to meet target goals among black, special-needs and low-income students."
I have particular concern for special needs children who have limited options in schools that already have difficulty serving 'typical' kids, much less those with specialized needs. Early intervention with properly trained teachers can have tremendous long-term impact on a child with special needs. Proper educational alternatives can actually return many special needs children back to mainstream school environments that many parents would prefer, within as few as just a couple of years of specialized instruction.
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