SCHOOL SYSTEM NEEDS HEALING

~Correction: Editor's Note: In its original form, the following commentary was three times the length it appears here. It has been edited as best as possible to retain its central points.

I felt it necessary to comment on the many controversial issues of our school board. I am employed three days a week at St. Francis Medical Center as the Medico-Legal Coordinator. I have been employed there since 1981 on a full-time basis, but last year cut back to three days on a semi-retired basis.

I have three children and four grandchildren who received their elementary and secondary education in the Cape Girardeau schools.

I have no personal agenda in submitting this letter. I am very upset with recent actions of our school superintendent and school board. I am a longtime supporter of quality education. ...

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I would like to challenge vehemently the statement of Neyland Clark in his chastisement of a school secretary -- because she wrote a letter contrary to his opinion -- in which he referred to the administrators of the respective hospitals in Cape Girardeau. Specifically, he said if he were one of these administrators, she would have been fired immediately.

I work at one of the hospitals and his remark makes me very angry. At the insistence of our administrator, we are all considered a member of his team. However, the focus or goal of his team is to in every way possible deliver "Quality Health Care" to our patients.

We are encouraged as employees when we see something going on that would be detrimental in the delivery of the "Quality Care" to report it. ...

I have never felt my job was in jeopardy because of an expression of my point of view -- either as an employee or patient. ... This style of management instills a sense of loyalty, because of the manner in which we are treated, not because we are intimidated to display a false sense of loyalty to retain our position.

It would seem to me, it would behoove our superintendent to familiarize himself with a person's managerial skills, i.e. the hospital administrators', before he uses them as an example to reinforce his inability to manage effectively. ...

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So where do we go from here?

A few years ago the Central Athletic Department was in turmoil due to questionable leadership. A special blue ribbon ad hoc committee (or task force) was appointed, which included representatives of the school board, faculty, parents, and citizens of the community. After much deliberation, it was recommended that a new athletic director be appointed and various other changes made. It would be my opinion that the athletic department flourishes today in part as a result of this action. Maybe this is a method by which our current problem could be resolved. For it is clear, a healing process has to be put in place; letting time go by in hope that this furor will die down on its own is not enough.

For example, consider: A contractor does not start reconstruction of a building that has been destroyed by fire when embers are still smoldering. The fire is totally put out and cleared away before construction begins. ...

To put it another way, in the field of medicine there are two processes of healing the human body when it is wounded. One is healing by "first intention," where wounded parts are healed by direct union of the wounded parts without granulation. Another is healing by "second intention," where healing is achieved by the formation of granulated tissue in the wound cavity after pus has been formed. This type of wound has to be cleaned out almost daily during the healing process to combat the development of infection. The wound is packed open and allowed to heal from the depth of the wound cavity to the surface.

I firmly believe the healing process in our current school board vs. public opinion impasse can only be accomplished by resorting to healing by "secondary intention" -- the depth of the injury to our school system is so deep and so much destructive material has been allowed to enter the cavity of the wound that this will all have to be cleaned out before healing can begin.

It seems a shame that most of the school board members are more consumed with their defense of our school superintendent's actions and behavior and their own personal egos and pride, however, than they are in arriving at some sort of solution.

I realize that serving on a school board is a thankless job most of the time and you are sworn in on the day you take office and from that day forward you are sworn at. And I realize we as human beings are all compelled at times to defend our pride and our egos.

But when pride and ego interfere with the discharge of our duties in a job or an office to which we have been elected, then we have a problem. ...

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For example, I'm just a little bit tired of the admonition of one board member when he continuously chirps, "Please think of the children, it's the children that are being hurt!" To this I would like to paraphrase a recent campaign slogan. "We know about the (our) children, stupid"; when are YOU going to realize your arrogant attitude is contributing to the problems of these children?

It makes me sick to my stomach when I read this same person is coordinating our superintendent's evaluation. ...

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I would like to wrap this up in some sort of positive way. We as John Q. Public could engage the services of David Copperfield's magic and then have him make the present superintendent and his foxhole buddies completely disappear. But more would be accomplished if this problem is addressed in a healing by "secondary intention" process. This would probably require several board members to swallow their pride, deflate their egos, and possibly eat a little crow. Or maybe it might be as drastic as to remove themselves from the kitchen (if the aforementioned actions would be too painful for them to accomplish).

As I see it, however, school superintendents and school board members come and these same people go. But the Cape Girardeau School System, I hope, will remain until the end of time. ...

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I issue a challenge to everyone in the community, do we have among us someone who will step forward and lead us out of this chaotic mess?

If no one appears who is able to accomplish this monumental task, then I say to the school board members and I address it to their self-appointed spokesman: "Get your buddies and head for your foxhole -- you ain't seen nothing yet!" ...

Please do not misunderstand me or my motives for writing this letter -- this is not meant as a threat. Instead, I am writing because of how strongly I feel about a quality education being provided in our school system -- one that is delivered in a non-partial way with no magical intervention.

I am writing because I would like to see the Cape Girardeau Public School System rise from the ashes of this mess and be a school system that the current students as well as its many graduates can be proud of.

I don't believe I am the only Cape Girardean with this kind of strong feeling.

Healing must take place. The wound must be cleansed. And, we must be assured that all problems that could re-infect this wound are not left to fester. Otherwise, it will erupt again, with a new vengeance, most likely prior to any forthcoming school election for the passage of a proposed bond issue for the benefit of our public schools. If such a healing is conducted, however, I feel strongly this would encourage the public's support with their YES votes come election time.