Retiring Cape superintendent looks back at accomplishments, challenges after 9 years

Jim Welker is retiring as superintendent of Cape Girardeau’s public schools after nine years, clearing the way for assistant superintendent for administrative services Neil Glass to step in at the beginning of July.

Welker’s career has spanned 39 years, working as an agriculture instructor at Delta schools for 9 1/2 years, then as supervisor of agricultural education with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for 10 years.

Moving back into administration, he worked at Sikeston’s school district for two years as the adult education coordinator, financial officer, “whatever they needed, really,” Welker said.

Then he joined Jackson’s school district as assistant superintendent in charge of finance for eight years, before coming to Cape Girardeau.

“It’s been a great experience,” Welker said. “I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Welker said one initial goal was to create a sense of stability in the central office in Cape Girardeau.

“There had been several superintendents over a period of just a few years prior to that, kind of a revolving door,” he said. “If nothing else, by being here nine years, I think I’ve created some of that (stability).”

He said he gives a lot of credit to Glass and the rest of the staff.

“All of the principals and teachers, I need to give them a lot of credit, too,” Welker said.

Welker said he and Glass also had a goal of forming a long-range facility plan.

“Some of our buildings had been let go a little bit in terms of deferred maintenance,” he said.

A committee was formed to assess all facilities in the district.

After the comprehensive study was finished, the long-range plan was developed in two phases.

Phase one, Welker said, was a $40 million bond issue passed by voters in 2010.

“It touched almost every building,” he said, with new roofs, HVAC and flooring improvements, additional classroom space and security upgrades.

The junior high also received a new library, and the middle school had office space and a new hallway built between the main building and the gym.

At the time, several teachers at the high school used carts to move from classroom to classroom, he said.

And the high school went from having no auditorium or stadium to having both, Welker said.

Phase two in 2015 included two big renovation projects at the junior-high school: adding classrooms, labs and office space, plus renovating the existing building.

“We had kind of left it out of the first bond issue,” he said of the junior-high project.

During phase two, the district added a building at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. The building, which recently opened, houses the Cape College Center and several health-occupational programs.

“We had been renting space at Doctors’ Park for some programs because there was just no space,” Welker said. “We’re very pleased to have that building, both for Cape College Center and other programs.”

Welker said there were other smaller projects, but they all should be finished this summer.

He said another part of the district’s focus is working to mitigate poverty’s effects on students.

“One thing I think people don’t necessarily realize is about 68 percent of our students are affected by poverty,” he said.

That’s the percentage who use the free and reduced-rate lunch program at the schools, Welker said.

One of the district’s goals is to figure out how to address student needs better. Through programs with United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters and other organizations, Welker said the district is making improvements in tracking data, identifying needs and how best to address those needs, whether through additional support in reading with the United Way’s Read to Succeed program or Big Brothers Big Sisters’ ABC Today.

“We know we have to address the needs of our students if we expect them to be successful,” Welker said.

Welker said one of the challenges facing the district was the graduation rate. Most recently, it’s up to 87 or 88 percent, he said.

That’s thanks to efforts of the district’s staff, teachers and principals and partnering with United Way, he said.

Identifying concerns in a student’s life and having interventions in place to help the student was crucial, Welker said.

”The goal was to get above 90 percent graduation rate, and I would have liked to have gotten that already, but we’re still moving in the right direction,” he said.

The 1:1 computer program, which aims to expand access to technology in the district, is being implemented in stages, Welker said.

He said one item he wanted to see the district expand has been the use of professional learning communities, or PLCs.

“It’s a framework including professional development, an approach to education built around a strong focus on students and their learning, building collaborative teams of teachers who work together to improve instruction, and looking at data,” Welker said.

Over the years, the district had dabbled in it, he said, but he wanted to see it expand throughout the district into each building.

Students in several buildings have earned major accomplishments, Welker said. Blanchard Elementary recently was named a National Blue Ribbon School, Alma Schrader was recognized as a state and national School of Character, “and we’ve had several buildings recognized as exemplary schools in our state — Clippard, for one. That’s been really good, as well.”

Welker said he believes one of the most important things for a person in his role to get right is staffing: not only getting the right people, but providing necessary support to them.

“Do they have all the resources they need? I’m not just talking about technology or facilities, but providing professional development, focusing resources on teacher and staff training and managing those resources where they’re going to have the greatest impact. That’s what we’re really here about,” Welker said.

He said he enjoys the Terrific Tigers initiative, in which a student from each building is recognized based on leadership, service to others and scholarship. Those students and their parents are invited to the school-board meetings and recognized.

Welker said he’s pleased Glass is stepping into his role.

“I have a great deal of respect and admiration for him, and I think he’ll do a great job,” he said.

Welker and Glass came to the Cape Girardeau district from Jackson public schools and have worked together closely, Welker said.

“We’ve been working since last fall on our strategic plan,” which they hired Cape Girardeau firm Hendrickson Business Advisors to help get started. he said.

The firm is finishing the plan. From that assessment, it will develop goals.

One goal will be improving communication. How can the district reach students’ parents and the community?

“We’ll make sure we’re expanding how and who we communicate with and to market what we’re doing,” he said, adding school districts often don’t tell their story well.

Student performance is another goal, he said.

“We want to continue to improve there,” Welker said.

Other goals are to continue to stay up to date with technology, improve parent and community involvement and improve the culture and climate in each building.

The strategic plan will be rolled out to the school board during a special meeting June 19 with a draft of next year’s budget, both of which Welker hopes will be approved at the regular meeting June 26.

Welker said he believes this region is blessed with many great schools at all levels.

“I do strongly believe that it’s critical we maintain and improve our public schools, and that will have huge impact on our community, on our state and on this country,” Welker said, because good schools make good citizens.

Welker said he has a great staff, especially his administrative assistant, Beth Poyner, all of whom make his job much easier.

“I will miss being superintendent, but you just get to a point where it’s time, and after 39 years in education, it is a little scary in that I don’t know for certain what I’m going to be doing, but I do hope to spend more time with my grandkids,” he said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address: 301 N. Clark St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.