BE OUR GUEST: DON'T BLAME NEA FOR SCHOOL BOARD'S PROBLEMS

The accusation of Dr. Neyland Clark and members of the Cape Girardeau Board of Education that the Cape National Education Association is behind the petition drive aimed at the superintendent's resignation is simply ridiculous. These accusations smack of a concerted effort by Dr. Clark and the Board of redirect attention away form their present difficulties by identifying some "sinister" outside agency as the real culprit. The difficulties that the Board and Dr. Clark have encountered with the public merely brought to the public's attention that Dr. Clark and the Board have consistently practiced a confrontational style of management, complete with implied threats and intimidations against those groups or individuals who challenged their decisions. Difficulties between Cape NEA and the administration and Board stems almost exclusively from the resentment over having an organization which possessed the courage to challenge their decisions. Several events, during NEA's first year of existence in the Cape Girardeau district highlight this statement.

The first item on Cape NEA's agenda was payroll deduction for the organization dues. This request was made by letter during the fall of 1992. When presented with this request in an open Board meeting, School Board member Lyle Davis led the discussion to table the request until the school district could address the issue with their attorney. This act seemed to be an attempt to thwart the organization by denying its members and prospective members the convenience of payroll deduction, a convenience that is extended to members of the local chapter of the Missouri State Teacher's Association.

Cape NEA has frustrated the administration through our efforts to gain a fair share of the district's financial resources for all teachers. Even though the district has possessed significant reserves in the teacher's fund, not one significant pay raise has been given during Dr. Clark's entire tenure as superintendent. Cape NEA requested copies of Dr. Clark's and the other district administrator's contracts in order to determine if the Board applied the same tight fiscal policies to administrators' salaries as it did to teachers' salaries. Even though the Missouri Sunshine Law guarantees the right of access to those documents or the information contained within, the Administration flaunted that law for over one year before finally providing the requested information.

In the 26 July story in the Southeast Missourian, Board member Lyle Davis accused the Cape NEA of being "...more interested in furthering a particular cause rather than furthering the district." Mr. Davis is absolutely correct in that charge. Cape NEA is determined to further a "particular cause" and that cause is education. NEA members have provided students with access to the Homework Hotline, a toll-free telephone number which students can call to gain help with homework problems which they may encounter at home when they are unable to get help from their classroom teacher. NEA members are also extremely active in working with students in extracurricular activities in addition to fulfilling their classroom responsibilities.

Cape NEA has not allied itself with the group seeking Dr. Clark's resignation and contrary to the assertions of Mr. Davis that NEA has a "let's get Neyland Clark focus," not "let's air our concerns and work through our differences", Cape NEA has made every attempt to work through our differences.' It is ironic that Mr. Davis levels these charges when he initially placed the barrier to cooperation and communication between Cape NEA and the Board by refusing to debate and discuss the issue of payroll deduction for NEA members in the Cape school district. Under the leadership of Brenda Woemmel, Cape NEA was able to become part of a monthly communication meeting with Dr. Clark. NEA desired to be part of this process in order to develop a better dialogue with Dr. Clark and the administration. Cape NEA even sent a congratulatory letter to Dr. Clark when he received recognition as one the United States' top school administrators. Any assertion that NEA refused to attempt to work out its differences with the Board and administration is false and leads one to question Mr. Davis's motivations in making that statement.

Cape NEA has made no public comment concerning Dr. Clark's and the Board's present difficulties nor have we worked in concert with any group seeking Dr. Clark's resignation. Any controversy between Cape NEA and Dr. Clark and the Board during this present crisis is completely the creation of Dr. Clark and the Board.

Cape NEA consists of only about fifty members out of over three hundred teachers in the Cape School district. While those of us in the organization would certainly like to see it grow in both numbers and influence, the reality is that our organization is still small and incapable of intimidating anyone. Dr. Clark's charge that the organization has engaged in such intimidation is not true. Dr. Clark and the Board of Education have created their own difficulties because they have dared to deal with the public in the same manner that they have been dealing with teachers for years.

Joe Bradshaw is former president of the Cape NEA.