Culture changing In school district

Board interviews Martin for superintendent position

Having been with the Pea Ridge School District — as a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent — are both his strength and his weakness, Keith Martin told School Board members Monday, Feb. 3, in a board work session.

“I feel like I’ve been an outstanding employee for the past 22 years,” Martin said, “But it’s not what I’ve done, it’s what I think I can do.”

He said if he were using the position as a “springboard,” as many administrators do when accepting a position, he would have left 11 or 12 years ago when there were other opportunities presented to him.

Martin was initially hired at Pea Ridge as a teacher, was then the principal of the elementary school and, then, in 2006, was named the assistant superintendent. He said that he runs the day to day operations of the district and knows the district intimately.

“A lot of times, a traditional school is compared to that of a machine,” he told board members. “But that’s simply not the case. Schools should be compared very much to an organism. We are not a simple celled organism that you can find in a rock… we are very complex.”

As the Pea Ridge School District moves to five LEAs (Local Education Agency) with the impending opening of the new high school, Martin said that all of the systems have to function correctly and together.

“We must see ourselves as organic and not mechanical,” he said, explaining that change and growth have to come from inside, not from the top down. “We have to grow our leaders. It’s not a position, a job title, a line on the salary schedule. We have leaders in every building, whether it’s a teacher or a bus driver. They’re they ones who will implement any change we have.”

“We have change coming … it’s quite frankly, the biggest shift since I’ve been here,” Martin said.

Martin presented a power point presentation answering questions posed to him by board members and sharing why he believed he was the best candidate for the superintendent’s position. Upon announcing his resignation last month, superintendent Rick Neal recommended Martin as his replacement.

“We cut 415 W2 forms, that includes substitutes,” Martin said, explaining that there are about 280 employees day in and day out. “Whoever is in this chair needs to be open and transparent

and good at communication — show concern and respect efforts. Their (employees’) voice has to be heard. That’s critical.”

Martin’s wife, Wendy, is also an employee of the school district.

“Wendy and I, she comes into this conversation as well, she’s more than a spouse, she’s an employee here in the district, are very conservative. We have a very small circle of friends.”

Saying he believes he can provide communication and leadership, Martin said it’s all about the students first, and building capacity within the administration, faculty and staff.

“One thing I’m adamant about … reducing the organizational silos,” he said explaining that students currently make three transitions as they move from one school to the next but that there will be four next year. “We can not have schools that are on islands; we all have to be on same page, with curriculum — both horizontally and vertically — for internal and external stake-holders.”

Martin repeatedly referred to “guaranteed and viable curriculum” and said he is committed to developing learning opportunities that are tied to future educational, employment and societal success. Kids are so different than they were 10 years ago.”

Board member Mindy Cawthon asked Martin what it would be like to manage people with whom he had been a colleague and Martin said that was “left years ago” when he became assistant superintendent. “Everyone else answers to me. I’m the principals’ supervisor.”

Board member Ryan Heckman said: “I inferred you have a great value for listening. I appreciate that. How do we handle communication in relationship to social media?”

Martin said someone needed to be appointed to manage the social media accounts.

Board member Sandy Button pointed out that Martin is so busy now, how would he handle the additional duties.

“Delegation of duties,”

Martin answered both. “It’s making that time. Someone else would have to do what I do now.”

“Teaching is very much an art form. You have to hone your craft,” Martin said, emphasizing his commitment to mentoring teachers. He said there are teachers with even or eight years of experience and teachers with seven or eight years of first-year experience and he desires to help teachers grow.

Commenting on the two positions that are open in the administration office, Martin said he firmly believes that if there is a quality person internally, they should be given the first opportunity to fill the position.

“When you have a change in leadership, it creates anxiety,” Martin said. “I’m committed to building relationship, mentoring, helping, supporting.

“We are a very special community — it’s all about quality of life,” he said, explaining that for many years, many teachers in the district lived elsewhere and commuted to work. He said when he began teaching in Pea Ridge, he couldn’t find a house to buy. But, that now, with the abundance of subdivisions and housing, more and more of the schools staff are living in town.

“Having them here is so much better than commuting in,” he said.

He said the growth in the district adds more students, but also provides more opportunities for all involved in the school.

Board members visited privately without Martin present with various opinions expressed as to which direction the board should take on hiring a superintendent. Two board members — Button and Cawthon — said constituents had called them sharing their opinions about whether to hire within or to search outside of the district.

“Make no mistake, with the selection of this position, the culture of this district will absolutely change,” Heckman said.

Board members agreed to discuss the issue further at the regularly-scheduled School Board meeting Monday, Feb. 10.