INTERNATIONAL FLAIR IN 1992

TAKING A GLOBAL VIEW: Superintendent Meyland Clark has begun to make contacts with school officials in 19 foreign countries in hopes of setting up an exchange of teachers, and perhaps students.

While most recent discussion on Cape Girardeau public schools has been about upcoming budget cuts and a five-year strategic planning process, the district has been making contacts to bring a distinctively international flair to the city.

Superintendent Neyland Clark explained that he has begun to make contacts with school officials in 19 foreign countries in hopes of setting up an international exchange of teachers, and perhaps students.

Already the district is working with contacts in England, the Soviet Union and Korea.

"Business and economic activities have gone beyond the national borders," Clark said. "By 2000, we need to be graduating students who must compete in an international workplace like we have never seen before. We need to make sure our kids can compete."

He said the district will be looking at its academic programs to see how they compare with programs in other parts of the world.

"It's not a question of imitating or emulating the system of another country; but, if they are doing something better, we need to know what and why," said Clark.

"The world of 1992 is much different than in the 1950s and 1960s," Clark said. "The world is smaller. Through computers and satellites and microwaves we can make the transfer of information almost instantaneous. Communication is so much easier, and I believe that should expedite world peace.

"Changes come about so rapidly. By April we should see video phones. We want to be on the cutting edge. We want our students to know as much as their counterparts in other parts of the world."

Clark is investigating working with local firms like Procter and Gamble, which have international operations, to bring about the international exchanges.

"These companies sometimes transfer their people to other parts of the world," he said. "Other companies bring people to Cape Girardeau from places like Japan. We know people like to stay with their families."

Cape Girardeau teachers whose spouses are transferred overseas could work in schools in other countries. Visiting spouses, who happen to be educators, could work in Cape Girardeau schools.

Clark said it's possible that the exchange program could be expanded to include students.

"This really is in the beginning stages," Clark said. "I think we'll find a tremendous amount of support. This is a program about kids talking to other kids and teachers talking to other teachers."

Clark said the proposal must be approved by the district's new curriculum committee and must get the okay of the instructional staff.

"We are trying to explore this during the spring and summer. We might be ready to talk seriously about a plan by the fall of 1992."

In the meantime, school personnel are involved in the budget reallocation process of cutting $1.4 million from the budget this spring.

"This process is not an exact science, and there are a lot of aspects of the district that have to be reviewed," Clark said. The process involved a large number of staff members.

"As far as I can tell, we have far more teachers and administrators and support staff people involved in the process than ever before in the history of the district. We have really opened up the process."

Clark said specific cuts have not yet been decided.

"We are trying to ease the negative impact of those cuts by watching carefully those things that have a negative impact on the generation of revenue for the district." he said.

Specifically, Clark said, he is concerned about the use of enterprise zones in Cape Girardeau. "We have $12.5 million in assessed valuation untaxed for the purpose of economic development," he said. "The school district wants to be an integral part of economic development, but we already do things to help advance Cape Girardeau as a community that we are not recognized for."

Clark said having a quality school district is a benefit to communities hoping to attract businesses and industries.

He said the district is also closely monitoring the state's budget process.

If things don't change in favor of school funding, Clark said, the district will consider further litigation. The district was a partner to a successful lawsuit asking to block state budget cuts to schools.

"We need to sit down with the legislature and talk about fairness of support for the services they are demanding," said Clark.

At home, Cape Girardeau schools are looking for community input to a five-year master plan for the district. The planning process, called Project Partnership, includes three subcommittees charged to study finance, programs and facilities. The district is also in the process of surveying community members and compiling data from within the schools.

Chairmen of the subcommittees are: finance, Harry Rediger; programs, Sue Balsamo; and facilities, Bob Fox.

"In April we should see some recommendations from the subcommittees," Clark said. "The board will sit down with those and the other information to develop a plan and a way to implement the plan."

Clark said, "We have a great tradition in Cape Girardeau to build upon, and I think the community expects us to do that in a very positive way."