Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Warren Warren County School District Superintendent Amy Stewart, who is retiring next week, was honored by current and former board members during a special meeting held Monday night in the central office in Russell.
“It was this career that sought me out.” She said at her last meeting. “It wasn't something I set out to do.”
She served in this position from July 2016 until her retirement earlier this month.
“I guess I thought I was going to teach.” She told the Times Observer. “I love teaching.”
Stewart joined the district in 1991 and taught elementary schools in Pittsfield, Beatty and Sugar Grove for nine years, followed by two years integrating technology throughout the district. She then joined the central office where she worked in technology, curriculum, instruction, support services, human resources, and other short-term assignments.
Times Observer file photo Recently retired Warren County School Superintendent Amy Stewart speaks during a board meeting in 2018.
She was appointed Executive Director in March 2015 with responsibilities including staff evaluation, policy development and implementation.
The transition from the classroom to working directly with teachers and administrators has been something I have enjoyed.
“I had no idea what I was signing up for” She said. “I didn't even know what I didn't know. I thought I could make a bigger impact.”
The field of education in general – and Warren County specifically – has changed dramatically since the early 1990s.
Technology is one of those key drivers.
“When I started teaching in 1991, I didn’t have a computer in the classroom.” She said. “Technology has fundamentally changed the rules of the game from top to bottom.”
Now, every student in the school district has a computer.
Stewart said that brings “Competencies” to the classroom but also comes with drawbacks.
“All things in good doses.” She said. “We see a lot of kids addicted to technology. I can’t even imagine the amount of damage social media has done.”
The province has changed too. The population continues to decline. The size of the district's budget has increased by about a third in the past decade.
Will the current school district system work in the future? Is there a turning point?
'We're getting dangerously close' Stewart said. “We have been incredibly responsible with the balance of money and spending.”
“Rubber that will meet the road” is the federal ESSER COVID dollar. Those dollars were used for “Put people before kids. All those dollars are going to come out of the budget.”
Regarding expenses, she said three-quarters of the district's budget is from people.
“All these people cost higher percentages every year.” She said the matter is complicated by the fact that declining enrollment does not cause the district to lose children “In one pocket” But rather “Losing 100 out of 100 different classes.”
These tensions were evident again last year when discussions about restructuring secondary schools came to the fore again.
“If it were easy, it would be done by now.” She said. “Nobody enjoys worrying.”
She noted, however, that the problem of declining resources affects not only the school district but entities such as the Fire Service, Emergency Medical Service and the U.S. Postal Service.
'Everyone is struggling' She said. “Until people can adopt a county-wide mindset … (we) will continue to struggle.” There is a need for “Coming up with innovative and different solutions.”
Where is the tipping point where the school district's current model breaks?
“I would say it doesn't really work,” Stewart said. “Schools have lost…opportunities….It's not working as it should or should.”
the 'The most frustrating part' She explained, it was “Challenge again and again about data integrity” During the discussion “It focuses primarily on sports and school maintenance, and does not provide excellent academic opportunities.”
This is why the administration and teachers are frustrated.
“The more things you ask them, the more classes you ask them to teach, the more difficult it becomes for them.” She said. “How many plates can you put in the air and do it well? If you spread them out too thin, we're not going to achieve that academic excellence. That's not what the conversation is about.”
Despite those challenges, depending on which study you look at, Stewart has exceeded the average length of supervision.
“Long life is known to not be long.” She said. “I've had the opportunity to watch a lot of people do it in different ways.”
This gave her opportunities to reflect on whether and how she felt she could succeed in this role.
“I decided very early on that I had to be myself.” Stewart said. “You can't protect. Morally, ethically, professionally, know what you stand for. I had a board that was aligned too. I think that's when you get longevity. Pointing the boat in the same direction can really make things happen.”
However, there was reluctance to take this position.
“You either stay true to yourself…or you change who you are and what you stand for. At that point you know you have to leave. I needed to get my family to a point where it was possible to move forward.”
“I hesitated” She said. “I've been thinking about it, because I knew when was the right time for me to throw my hat in the ring.”
Being superintendent of a public school district is equal parts education and politics.
“There are too many distractions” Stewart said. “I wish we could come here every day and talk about the best instruction for kids.”
Issues like the pandemic and teachers' strikes can do that “Get you off track.”
“Wanting around what will happen with vote counts, and declining enrollment, is another distraction to focus on education.” She said. “If we're focusing on the bricks, we're not focusing on what's happening educationally in the classroom. That's going to be a big challenge moving forward.”
Her second-in-command – Gary Weber – was chosen as her replacement. He was awarded a five-year contract last month.
What will be the biggest challenge he will face?
“It will take time to prepare five new board members on the complex budget. This should be first and foremost.” Stewart said.
Weber's knowledge of the area will keep the learning curve short, she said.
“We have to develop a facilities master plan.” she added. “This MFP is on the horizon. Our facilities are in very good shape.”
From a brick-and-mortar perspective, Stewart said the next school to make decisions on is Youngsville High School.
“The condition is starting to show wear.” She said. “Those decisions are right there.”
There is ongoing work on curriculum, the need to evaluate the shift from Sheffield to Warren, and discussion about kindergarten age and number of periods in the school day.
Her retirement ends a more than 30-year career in education.
What are you most proud of?
“(There's) not one thing” She said. “It's not one particular program. I'm proud of the way I've been able to lead and that has enabled all kinds of good things to happen.
The benefits of developing relationships and empowering staff to do the best things for students mean that, she said “Magic things will happen” Didn't see it coming.
“We've built a lot of really good software, through the efforts of hundreds of people. And I think about that, the leadership that provides the ability to do that.” It is something to be proud of.
“Part of my style is to be calm, steady and professional. I think we did all those things (and) set the tone.” How to the area “A bell to lead and serve children.”
At no time have these features been more comforting than during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“No one would have thought about what we went through. I couldn't dream of it.” She said. It was the approach “We do the best we can with what we have. And it comes down to the people. It wasn't about me, it was about a team of people who were on their toes. That's how good systems work.”
