Wilkes pursues one opportunity to create others

We've been hearing and reading a lot lately about more cooperative and collaborative efforts across the river. (If you missed "The water that binds us," Coalition for Sound Growth coordinator Carole Rutland's Aug. 22 Sunday Forum centerpiece, read it at www.ledger-enquirer.com/opinion/op-ed/article31833759.html)

Phenix City Public Schools Superintendent Randy Wilkes has seized on the idea of reaching across the river for educational collaboration. And in taking advantage of one opportunity, the school system Wilkes leads might well be creating countless others for the young people it serves.

In the fall of 2016, the Dyer Family STEM Center will open at Central High School. That same academic year, Columbus State University's College of Education and Health Professions is scheduled to move to the former Ledger-Enquirer site downtown.

It should be a natural. CSU's recent selection for a national effort to boost the number of STEM teachers, and its receipt of seven-figure awards from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, make it an invaluable local asset for science and technology education.

What Wilkes has in mind is a partnership between the university and the city school system for professional development and instruction, and grant money to help fund the training. Ultimately, he told the Ledger-Enquirer, there could be reciprocal certification agreements not limited by state lines.

We can think of no losers, no downside, and no rational reason not to pursue opportunities like this as far as they might lead.

Rebuilding pre-K

In other encouraging education news, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has proposed a funding boost for Georgia's prekindergarten program, to reverse some of the hits the program has taken.

That year, the General Assembly reduced the pre-K school year from 180 to 160 days, cut teacher pay and increased maximum classroom sizes. Experienced teachers left, and annual teacher retention rates fell from 83 to about 75 percent.

"We all know the statistics indicate a good pre-k program is the best starting point we can have for children in schools," Deal told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday. "Class size and teacher compensation are critical components for being able to have an effective and responsible pre-k program."

The governor's plan would tap the state lottery reserve fund which, after lottery receipts and revenues had taken a severe hit from the great recession, have rebounded over the last three years to about $60 million in annual growth.

Deal alluded to the recent stock market jitters as cause for reasonable caution, but "when we do have the money available, we need to do what we can to spend it wisely."

There are few wiser investments than this.

This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Wilkes pursues one opportunity to create others."