Law to lead education cooperative
FARMINGTON — Bryan Law won’t be going far for his next job.
The Farmington School District superintendent will move across the street to become director of the Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative starting July 1.
The cooperative’s board, made up of the superintendents of 16 Northwest Arkansas school districts, voted unanimously to make Law the next director following a brief executive session Thursday.
Law and Rick Neal, superintendent of Pea Ridge schools, were the finalists. The board interviewed both candidates Tuesday, Jan. 7.
Law will replace Charles Cudney, who is retiring after six years as director. He thanked Cudney for the job he’s done, adding Cudney has left “big shoes to fill.”
Law, 57, has been Farmington’s superintendent for seven years and was assistant superintendent for seven years before that. He has a master’s degree in education from Harding University, according to his resume.
The cooperative provides training and programs for teachers and administrators on all aspects of teaching, learning, school operations and state laws. It operates with 99 employees and a $7.5 million budget, according to Cudney.
“We have wonderful schools in Northwest Arkansas and wonderful educational system processes in place,” Law said. “The chance to work with the 16 districts here was very exciting to me. To play a role in what takes place in those 16 districts was exciting.”
The cooperative must respond with the appropriate training programs to prepare educators for new initiatives coming from the state level. Those programs are different for teachers and administrators, Law said.
The region’s superintendents have to work together and at times speak with one voice to address legislation regarding education, he said.
“Although this group is not working with kids on a daily basis, they are making decisions that affect what takes place in those classrooms on a daily basis,” Law said.
Law is earning $140,864 this school year. His salary as cooperative director will match Cudney’s current compensation: $132,000 plus a $6,000 annual travel allowance, according to Andrea Martin, cooperative board president.
Mary Ann Spears, superintendent of the Lincoln School District, said Law was her boss for a while when she taught in Farmington. They also were neighbors.
“He’s an outstanding guy. He will be a great leader for our co-op,” Spears said. “We’re very excited to have him lead us here. I can’t say enough nice things about him.”
Law is the second superintendent Farmington has lost to an education service cooperative. Ron Wright, Law’s predecessor, left in 2012 to become executive director of the Dawson cooperative in Arkadelphia.
Law said he would help the Farmington School Board as much as possible to identify his replacement.
“I think it’s a very attractive job. I think there will be a lot of interest in that job,” Law said.
Dave Perozek can be reached at dperozek@ nwadg.com or on Twitter @ NWADaveP.