TALLENT IS NAMED PRINCIPAL AT CENTRAL

Sporting a black Tigers hat and holding up a Booster Club T-shirt, new Cape Girardeau Central High School Principal Dan Tallent said it wasn't the first time he's worn orange and black.

Tallent started his education career at Central High in 1976, teaching math and coaching. The Cape Girardeau Board of Education hired Tallent at a special noon meeting Wednesday.

Also hired was Timothy L. Niggle to fill the position of director of human resources. Niggle works in teacher training at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Hilo, he said, averages 200 inches of rain a year, noting that Southeast Missouri sounds like weather relief to him. Niggle is originally from Indiana and his family lives in the Midwest.

Tallent currently works for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a state supervisor of instruction in the Southeast region. Previously, he was superintendent at Meadow Heights, athletic director and assistant high school principal at Perry County District 32 and high school principal at Delta.

Tallent said a principal serves as support staff for teachers and students. "I have high standards and expectations for staff and students," he said. "I'm there to provide service and support."

His work with the education department includes helping 62 districts in Southeast Missouri implement new state programs. "Professionally, I felt it was time to get back to working with students and teachers."

Current principal Dan Milligan has announced plans to retire from education.

Twelve candidates were narrowed to three, but none of those applicants were selected, said Board President Ed Thompson. Tallent then applied and was chosen.

"We are extremely fortunate to get someone like Dr. Tallent," said Thompson.

Board member John Campbell served on the search committee. "There were some trying times, up and down, back and forth," he said.

Superintendent Neyland Clark said, "We said going into it this was going to be a difficult process and it turned out to be just that."

Niggle works as assistant professor in the education department at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, there since 1989. He has been training teachers for the past 10 years.

While they have never worked together, Niggle and Clark were classmates at Indiana University.

"Dr. Clark has got a great reputation as a superintendent," Niggle said by telephone Wednesday. "That's one of the reasons I decided to consider a change from the university to elementary and secondary education."

Niggle admits it means a change. "I think I will have to work a lot harder now," he said. "The days of four-day work weeks are over."

He is looking forward to practical application of the things he has been teaching students. "I'm interested in the induction period, the move from the classroom to actually working in the field," Niggle said.

Niggle also has experience in equal education opportunities and sex desegregation.

He visited Cape Girardeau in February, when he interviewed for the job. "I got the 25-cent tour. Cape Girardeau looked a lot like where I'm from in Southern Indiana," he said.

James Englehart, director of secondary education, is retiring. His position and that of Richard Bollwerk, director of elementary education, have been changed. Niggle takes over as personnel director. Bollwerk will be in charge of instruction.

Clark said, "He's been teaching classes in the area of personnel and has tremendous conflict resolution skills."

Both Tallent and Niggle will begin work this summer.