LCSD1 interim superintendent makes case for why he should keep the job
Jan. 25—CHEYENNE — Since former Laramie County School District 1 Superintendent Margaret Crespo resigned last year, Stephen Newton has been the interim superintendent. Wednesday night, he answered questions prepared by a committee to make his case for keeping the job.
"You're called to this life because you have a commitment to serve," Newton said at Wednesday's public forum. "And the degree to which I have failed to serve, I have failed to lead."
Newton was asked 12 questions by three interviewers: Laramie County Community College President Joe Schaffer, LCSD1 Parent Advisory Board Chairman Brian Bohlmann and LCSD1 Parent Advisory Board vice chair Samantha Van Riper.
More than 30 people attended the event virtually, and the public was not able to ask Newton any questions. The panel first asked Newton about his communication style, which he described as a collaborative process.
"I think communication, in many ways, has become a lost art," Newton said. "I think we sometimes view communication as the opportunity to say what's on my mind, and that's certainly not what communication is, at its very best. At its very best, it's open, it's honest. It's partnering together with others so they can share their story, the interests they have and the needs that they have ... working together with them."
He was then asked what his role has been in the community and how that work has advanced the needs of students and educators.
He replied by saying that in his capacity as interim superintendent, he has been working to make sure students in the district would be ready for a "changing landscape" in the job market.
His solution, he said, was to forge relationships with local stakeholders and businesspeople to make sure students have the connections to succeed.
Later in the interview, Newton was asked about how he would cultivate a healthy culture in the district.
"I think it's a great question, but it's also a slippery one. Culture can mean so many things," he replied. "... I think it begins by getting clear on what exactly we mean by a strong or a positive culture and climate. I think the first thing that I would say that's important to recognize is the culture and climate of any organization is not determined by an announcement or a proclamation.
"... I think that positive culture and climate is defined, and is evidenced by the thousands of interactions we have each and every day."
Later in the forum, Newton was asked to weigh in on the controversial discussion the district had last year on defining and dealing with "sexually explicit" library materials.
"There's recently been a division within our community surrounding sexually explicit materials," Schaffer asked. "What's your plan for instilling trust and unity in our district while promoting a partnership with educators and parents?"
"I've often joked that that when we sit in a group much like this, we probably couldn't agree on what pizza we would want for dinner," Newton answered. "We have different opinions about silly issues, but also important social issues."
He said his solution for keeping the district unified would be maintaining a transparent, communicative atmosphere.
"We need to make sure that if we have a skeptical public — and we might have members of our public that are a bit skeptical of our work as educators, and I think that's OK — we shouldn't take for granted that if I say, 'Trust me,' that you might not say, 'Well, that's probably not the end of the story.'"
Schaffer later asked him for the best way to address the nationwide issue of employee and teacher retention in education. Newton said his solution would be investing in and supporting the aspect of the school system he deemed the most important: people.
He was then asked to talk about how he'd helped students with special needs over the course of his career. He replied with an anecdote he said he'd heard earlier that day when visiting a school in the district.
"I was visiting with one of our principals, and they've started a new room to serve certain students with autism — not all students with autism in that school, but certain students who need a specialized environment to find success," Newton said. "I asked that principal, 'How's it going?' She very discreetly pointed to a student across the room and said, 'At the beginning of the year, that student was nonverbal.' The other day we just heard that he went home and told his mother for the first time, 'I love you.'
"Now, there are a lot of people that deserve the credit for that. But, think about how powerful and how life changing the work (is)."
He was then asked about what he would do to improve working conditions for teachers, which the panel posed as "student learning conditions." Schaffer said they asked the question in that way to show how the way teachers are treated impacts how students learn.
"I love that sentence," Schaffer said when asking the question.
Newton replied by saying that teachers need a supportive environment so students can have a fruitful, productive relationship with a teacher they respect.
Newton was also asked about how he'd work with the Legislature, child behavioral issues and handling the district's budget.
The district will hold two more public forums on Monday and Wednesday with the two other candidates for the position, which will take a similar format. Both forums will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. at the meeting room in Storey Gymnasium.
Thomas Meyer, a superintendent in Bellevue, Iowa, will have his forum on Monday, and Michael Hamel, a superintendent in Rawlins, will have his on Wednesday.
Samir Knox is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's criminal justice and public safety reporter. He can be reached by email at sknox@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3152. Follow him on Twitter at @bySamirKnox.
