SUPERINTENDENT SELLS TEAMWORK, `CHEMISTRY'; OTHER FINALIST VISITS CAPE DISTRICT TODAY

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Although Dr. Neyland Clark considers himself innovative, he says educators and the community must agree before new ideas can work.

Clark visited Cape Girardeau Wednesday. About 35 people attended a meeting Wednesday night designed to give parents and community members a chance to meet the candidate, ask questions and make comments. Approximately 120 teachers attended an afternoon session with Clark.

The other finalist, Dr. Shelton Smith, will visit the city today, following a similar itinerary.

Clark said he was assessing the educational climate in Cape Girardeau while also undergoing questioning.

"We have to have a good chemistry," he said. "I'm not coming in to revolutionize education.

"I hope to have a chemistry your ideas are my ideas. I'm not selling my ideas. We'll be selling our ideas."

He added, "If what the community wants is not conducive to my philosophy, then I have to leave.

"Success depends on this community and what it wants. It's my job to take that direction and implement it."

Clark is superintendent at Bullitt County Schools in Shepherdsville, Ky. He is currently on leave from the district as that district searches for his replacement. The district, near Louisville, is the sixth largest in the state with an enrollment of about 10,000. He is originally from Indiana. Clark, 40, and his wife, Diane, a nurse, have three sons.

He said he is leaving the district because he and the district "are not a good match.

"I'm a little more innovative than they would like," he said.

"I see Cape Girardeau potentially as a place to do innovative, creative things at a time when I have the desire and energy to do them," Clark said. "I feel this is a much better match."

During his four years at Bullitt County, Clark supervised implementation of a program to help students with drug addiction problems. It was recognized as one of the top 10 in the nation. "It had a rehabilitative philosophy rather than a punitive approach."

His district was one of those filing the initial litigation which led to Kentucky's educational reform act.

During meetings with teachers and the public, Clark was asked several questions about middle schools.

"I don't come to you with any preconceived ideas about where we want to go as a school district," Clark told teachers. "That's something we want to do collectively."

Clark said he is a firm believer in the middle school philosophy. In his career, he has taught and coached at the middle level and was also a middle school principal.

"I think sixth graders have a lot more in common with eighth graders than eighth graders have in common with ninth graders," Clark said.

"Would I advocate it for Cape Girardeau? I don't know you well enough," he said. "I think a lot of good things are going on in middle schools. The middle school concept is one that's been proven effective across the country."

Clark addressed the issue of athletics in the school setting.

"I used to say that athletics is extra-curricular. Now I'm more inclined to say it's a co-curricular activity," Clark said.

He explained that his 6-foot-5-inch freshman son plays basketball. "Basketball is very important to him. And part of the reason he makes the honor roll is because he plays basketball. But it does not take the place of being on the honor roll."

He said athletics, music, art, speech and other similar programs serve to enhance the school's curriculum. "The main purpose is preparing kids academically."

Clark also responded to questions about the district's buildings.

"I can tell by the ages of the buildings, you've got some problems. In Kentucky, we say the life expectancy of a building is 50 years. You have three buildings 25 years past that limit.

"It's not secret that sometime in the very near future, Cape Girardeau needs a building program and will need to present a bond issue to voters for funding," he said.

When asked how he would sell a bond issue to voters, Clark responded, "I'm not going to sell it. We are going to destroy the pronoun I. We're going to sell it."

After less than 24 hours in Cape Girardeau, Clark said he sees the district's biggest weakness as a lack of a comprehensive plan.

He said a five- to seven-year plan should be developed to address the educational program, finances and facilities in the district.

At the evening session, Clark was asked how he would handle school board members acting as a superintendent. "The school board is the governing body. Their job is to set policy. They also have every right to come back and question if the spirit and intent of their policies are being met. But that's where it stops."

In response to a question, Clark said he had little experience with minority students and related problems. The minority population in Bullitt County is four-tenths of 1 percent, he said. "This is another reason to come to Cape. I would like to have some experience working with minority students."

The candidate said he was "more concerned about what goes on in the classroom than the class size. But if the class size is a deterrent to education, then I'd be concerned."

He added that class size is a concern at all levels, not just elementary.

He answered a question about a longer school year similarly. "I like the idea of a longer school year. But I'm more concerned about what we're doing in the time we already have."