BUSINESS PEOPLE ADVISE SCHOOL PANEL

JACKSON -- Too bad public schools can't teach common sense, said local business representatives at an business-education round-table discussion held Friday.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education along with the State Board of Education is sponsoring 26 conferences around the state.

Bekki Cook, a member of the state board from Cape Girardeau, said this is the first time this type of meeting has been held. Missouri's education Commissioner Robert Bartman was also on hand.

Cook said, "The idea is to open communication between business leaders who are employers. What are their concerns, what things are we doing right, and what things can we improve to provide them with better employees."

In addition to gathering input from business leaders, state education officials had a few requests from businesses.

Cook said that businesses could serve as mentors for some students. "That would help students understand this common sense."

She asked that employers who hire high school students limit their work to 20 hours a week and avoid scheduling students to work after 11 p.m. on week nights.

"And we want you to look at their school transcripts when hiring them."

Bartman said, "What goes on in schools is important."

Business leaders at the meeting expressed a need for employees with better communication skills and higher math and science skills.

"I just wish you could teach common sense," said Kent Puchbauer of Capital Bank.

He said much of his banking business involves helping people who don't have a basic understanding of economics. "They need to know how to balance their checkbooks and what an 18 percent interest rate on a credit card does to your monthly check."

He added that educators, like business, need to feel some competition to succeed.

"Those of us in business are in a competitive situation every day," Puchbauer said. "I think education needs to be held up to the test and to know they will be held up to the test."

Charlie Glueck, of Jackson Tire Center, said, "If we can get someone with good basic skills, we can train them to do what we need.

"I don't think we spend the time or money we need in elementary school," Glueck said.

"If a person can read and comprehend what they read, they can do just about anything. We need to look at kindergarten, first and second grades. If they can't read there, let's stop. If it takes cutting the student-teacher ratio to 10 to 1 or one to one, let's do it. We need to spend the money now rather than waiting."

Glueck said, "An important ingredient is missing in our lower education parents. Somehow we need to tie parents back into the schools. If that means paying a visit to the house or having parent-teacher conferences once a week until a child gets back on track.

"Some parents don't know what to do."

Glueck also said he opposes tenure for teachers. "I think their jobs should depend on their performance."

Bob Renschen from Procter and Gamble said, "Our operation in the past five or so years has become increasingly complex, and change is on a par I've never seen before."

He said math and reading skills are essential. "Maybe another skill is in order the ability to learn to learn. A person has to be able to relearn and relearn and relearn."

Dan Seabaugh, a dairy farmer and former teacher, said, "Students need to see a reason for doing something where am I going to need this, how am I going to use this."

Jim Maevers, with Schapers IGA in Jackson, said employees need to know "what's right, what's wrong, when it's time to listen and when it's time to play."

Maevers added that taxpayers should be able to see results for their investment in education.

"If we are going to spend some money, let's see the results. Let's see what we've got."

Gene Penzel, owner of Penzel Construction Co., said he sees a lack of discipline in some applicants and new employees. Discipline is something he believes should be taught in school. "Without discipline, you have no control. But I've had employees who have learned discipline on the job because they needed the money."

Kim McDowell, with the Southeast Missourian newspaper, said vocational schools are turning out highly-trained employees.

"Workers coming from vocational schools are as good as those coming from colleges in the technical fields," she said.

Delmar Cobble, a 60-year educator and former member of the State Board of Education, said, "I'm for a basic education program. If a student has a good, basic education, he is adaptable. He can do new things and learn new things without too much difficulty."

Jane Harte with AAA Travel said she would like prospective employees to demonstrate stronger communication skills.

"Some of the letters of application I receive are amazing," Harte said. "They can't spell. They can't compose a sentence."

She added that the spiraling cost of college education is also a concern. "As costs go higher and higher I'm concerned that some young people might not be able to afford to go to college."

Employers also noted a lack of goals or sense of direction in some applications.

In an attempt to help give students a direction for their future, Bartman advocates two courses of study for students college preparatory or vocational.

"We have a third track of general education that goes nowhere," Bartman said. "Many of the people you find applying for jobs, bouncing from job, with no clear idea of what they want to do, are those students who went through school on that general track."

Information collected Friday will be compiled with information collected at the other round-table discussions being held around the state.

Bartman said he hopes a group of participants from these discussions will provide an annual review of his goals for the 1990s, called "Missourians Prepared."