Latest / Grow Clinton Podcast / GCP264 - Northeast Community School District w/Alicia Christiansen, Superintendent

Transcript

GCP264 - Northeast Community School District w/Alicia Christiansen, Superintendent · Grow Clinton Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: As we deal with, you know, the expectations from the legislators and the Department of Education and Laws in deciding, like, okay, so what do our kids need and how do we use every dollar very, very purposefully?
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_02: You're listening to the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_02: Grow Clinton is a 501c6 nonprofit, economic, community development, and tourism organization based in Clinton, Iowa.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_02: For more information, visit growclinton.com.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_02: Again, that's growclinton.com.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: Now, back to the show.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_02: What's happening, all you beautiful people out there in podcast land?
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of the Grow Clinton Podcast, brought to you by Grow Clinton, a nonprofit organization located in the eastern side of the great state of Iowa, right along the mighty Mississippi, where we focus on community development, economic development, and tourism.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: As always, I am your host for today's episode, Andy Sokolovich, President CEO, joined in the studio by none other than your eyes and ears do not deceive you.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_02: Matty Parbs, the vice president.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_02: What's up?
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: Pinch hitting again.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: Pinch hitting again.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we were discussing on the podcast yesterday how you used to have a lengthy title.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, DP of community and economic development.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_02: And one day I just got tired of writing it.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, Matt, you are now the vice president of that's it.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_02: Vice president.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_02: It's so much easier that way.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_03: I appreciate it because I could never remember either.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_03: Was it community first or was it?
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_01: Did he get more duties assigned?
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_03: We always do that.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_02: It's called delegating.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_02: Alicia.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_02: It's good.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_01: It's good.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_02: Sponsors, Matty, Mike Check courtesy of Citizens First Bank, making your finances and our audio crystal clear.
• 1:34
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• 1:38
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• 1:44
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• 2:00
  SPEAKER_02: Miles Communications.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_02: Well, they hook us up with Wicked Fast, high-speed fiber internet, ensuring that our broadcast is crisp, clear, and consistent.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_02: Miles also offers a residential and commercial service, television and telephone options too to meet your home or company's communication needs.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: If they are not in your neck of the woods, they are on their way.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_02: MilesTelephone.com, located in the thriving metropolis that is Miles, Iowa.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_02: So check them out.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_02: Lionel Basel.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_02: Well, their turnaround's coming to a close here in a little bit.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_02: It's been a busy several months, but they produce high-density, low-density polyethylene plastic pellets used to create a variety of products, including household and industrial bottles, pressure pipes, food packaging, outdoor durable goods, construction of roof materials, and toys.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: LYB is committed to being a responsible, engaged neighbor in the community where they operate, just like here in Clinton.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: Lionel Bassell, solutions for a better tomorrow.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_02: Maddie, we've got a good guest today.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_03: A wonderful guest.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_03: We're doing an entire series on all the superintendents in the region.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_03: Emphasis on super.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_03: Super, super.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_03: And so we've got Alicia today from Northeast.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_03: And um so we're gonna talk about stuff.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_02: What do we do on this show?
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_02: Well, if you were, unless your head was in the sand, Maddie, they passed a pretty large bond record.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_02: We did.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_02: And they're doing some amazing things out there.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_02: So that voice you hear is none other than Alicia Christensen, superintendent at Northeast Community Schools.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_02: Alicia, thank you so much for joining us.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for having me.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_02: How's it going so far?
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we're in week three?
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: We're in week three.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: We are settling into a routine, which is very nice.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, we uh we run 10 bus routes.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_01: So last week got a little hot.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_01: And you drive the bus too?
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_01: I don't.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: I have not done that yet.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: You gotta step your game up.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: No, I feel like it.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: Superintendent Schaefer lets me know that all the time.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_02: He loves driving the bus.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: Superintendent Delays.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_02: At least he can't get enough.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: I just heard about it the other day again.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_02: I think uh I think Schaefer has a little hat he wears when he drives the bus or a little chauffeur hat, I believe.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_03: I just can't believe there's still not air conditioning after all these years.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_02: Ah, why?
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_02: What do the kids need?
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_01: I know, but even last week what we have one bus that tries, it didn't matter.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: We were so hot, yeah, you know, out on those gravel roads.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, we're in a routine, which is great.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_02: For those that are not aware, Clinton County has Clinton Community School District, Comanche Community School District, Central Community School District, and then Northeast Community School District.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_02: Am I missing anything?
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_02: Calwheat.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_02: Calwheat.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_02: Jeez, Louise, Northeast.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_02: Where are you guys located at?
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: So we actually we we our boundaries touch some of Comanche School District, some of Clinton School District.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: To the north is Easton Valley, to the west of us is Easton Valley.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: They and they have some other school district that comes into Clinton County, and then to the west of us, we have DeWitt over there.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: So we actually our our boundaries all touch all of those districts.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_02: Now the state of Iowa, unlike the state of Pennsylvania where I'm from, has open enrollment.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_02: We do, yeah.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_02: Meaning that you do not have to attend the school within the district you live in.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_02: So you do have a lot of Clinton natives that travel to Northeast.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um I know you have a little bus stop there right off two mile.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_02: So that's what does your enrollment look like these days?
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_01: So we're probably anticipating this year will be pretty steady to last year.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we're up till that, we were in our third year of declining enrollment.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: Essentially, though, when we look at our numbers, that's less resident kiddos.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: I think our families in our community just have less kids.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think though, if you think about it across the state of Iowa, all of us were having some declining enrollment issues.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_02: So if you bump into a family these days, young 30-somethings, and they tell you they have five kids, you're like, holy crap, that's a lot of kids.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_02: You know, back in the day, like you know, my parents and my grandparents, that was nothing, right?
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_02: That was a standard.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_02: Farm workers.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, farm workers.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I have to I have to have kids if I want somebody to you know get the corn out of the ground.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: So if you pass this bond referendum, I did.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_02: Last November.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_02: How large was that?
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: 13 and a half billion.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_02: So where's it all going?
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: Well, we're gonna go on the east side of our original building.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: So that 1960s middle school, high school building needs a little bit of love.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: So we are gonna put an addition on.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: That's gonna be the first phase, which I am hoping will happen in the next few weeks.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: So our general contractor was approved at our August um meeting.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll kick that off here in the next month, month and a half, get them on site, mobilized.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_03: And who's the general contractor?
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, Bruce Builders.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: Nice, very good.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: He's gonna come, got the low bid on that.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: So we're excited to get them set up.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: And well, that'll be first phase that we'll demolish the east side.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: There's some locker rooms on that side that just um will be taken off.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: We'll put an addition on.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_02: What are you gonna do with all the old lockers?
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: Well, we're gonna repurpose some of them.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_01: So the new addition that's going up is gonna have a metals and a wood lab in it, and we're gonna use some of those lockers in there.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: So when our welders go in to use our 16 bays, they have a place to hang their stuff.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we were strategic with all that.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, next summer, we hope to be into our HVAC.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: So when I I think I was here last, I talked about, you know, 1960s construction, we were due for an upgrade.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll spend the next summer kind of working that in phases.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we'll have to work around some some classrooms next fall, but um, we'll be flexible.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: So you don't anticipate a major impact to the students.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: You know what?
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: Kids are resilient, teachers are resilient, they're they're so flexible.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: And if they know it's a short term, kind of like, hey, for a week, we're gonna re-displace you so we can do this in your classroom, they're great with it.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: And in the end, they're gonna get new ceiling, new lights, new flooring.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_01: Like there's they're willing to do that.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_02: I was the class that had to endure like most of my high school career was under construction.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_02: Now I was home at the end of July, and I went back to my alma mater, Schuylko Valley High School, Leesport, Pennsylvania.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_02: Shout out to the Panthers, and I just assumed there would be like a bronze statue of me somewhere on the school property.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe they're working on it.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: It wasn't.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: There wasn't.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know why.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_02: I graduated at the top, no wait, it's the bottom of my class.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_02: No, uh, but it was, I just remember we had the construction trailers and then the mobile classrooms, and that school was just a square.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: So that's all you did.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: And then the middle was a big courtyard, so you couldn't really get lost in there.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_02: But I just remember it was so messy and uh grinded through it.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_02: But now those students that attend have the amazing opportunity to go to a brand new beautiful school.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: That's cool.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm excited for your construction.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_02: Now tell me about your now you alluded to like the welding, your career and technical education, also known as CTE.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_02: How's that looking?
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_01: It's looking really good.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: And actually, this senior class we have, it's probably our highest engagement in the career tech academies.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_04: Good.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, previous years we just we've had probably 15, 16 kids attending.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: I think we're up mid like 28 kids tapping into our the egg academy or the welding academy.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: So very hands-on focused um trades for those kids, which is awesome.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_02: Now you said ag.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_02: Uh-huh.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_02: Being in the Midwestern, you guys you guys kind of elongate your A's a little bit.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_02: So it always sounded to me like you were saying egg.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_02: And I remember one time I heard somebody say something about the egg academy or whatever.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, really?
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_02: I know we produce a lot of eggs in Iowa, but there's like a whole full-blown academy for eggs.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_02: Like, no, I'm not sure.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_02: It's called a whole neck.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: Ag.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: Ag, yep.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_02: I miss that stuff, man.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_02: Who else?
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_02: Where else could you go to learn how to sew three sleeves on a sweatshirt because you forgot to put the neck hole in there?
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_02: That was me.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it was not good.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_02: So you got all that stuff going on.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_02: Children have the opportunity, children, students had the opportunity to learn a trade, which obviously at Crow Clinton, we're huge fans of the trades.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_02: I joined the military right after high school, but I had several friends that went directly in to get their certifications, whether it be their journeyman's card and welding, plumbing, whatever.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_02: Still doing to this day, many of which own their own companies.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_02: Uh very solid work ethic.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_02: So I love that.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: The healthcare academy's got a high engagement this year for us, too.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: Which I think is also super important in our local community.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: No, they become a CNA, yes, and then set them up and then then choose to hopefully move on further in that healthcare industry, which um we all we all can benefit from that.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, if they go to Mercy One, I know they have a scholarship program, they'll put you through school to get you your RN, which, you know, what I think is so cool.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_02: Now, my wife's a DNP, she's got her doctorate in nursing practice, so she's a nurse practitioner.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_02: However, all those years I spent in the military, my buddies whose wives were nurses, no matter what duty station they went to, they had a job.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, there was either a community hospital or a base hospital, always hired civilians, so it's it's easy to kind of plug and play if you have something going on regarding your profession in the medical field.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: So very cool.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: Really cool.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Matt.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_03: And then of course, uh, you know, we work a lot with uh Lisa Sullivan of the Workbase Learning Crew.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_03: Love Lisa, and we're hosting a Northeast student, Emerson, yeah, Crime Brink.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_03: And so he's been here three or four times already since school started.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so I imagine the same thing with the the Health Academy and the welders.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_03: They all have the ability to go do job shadowing as as part of the network.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: School to work placements are huge.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think our graduating class is in the mid-60s.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: I bet half of our kids at that senior level are getting out and getting to experience um a work site placement, connect with people, think about the networking that they get to do when they're out and about.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: So and you got a good one there in Emerson, that's for sure.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_03: So again, we do this uh symposium and partnership every year with all the schools.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_03: So all of our member businesses listening, you know, please offer your business because you that means there might have been 10 kids who didn't find the right fit this year, uh students who, you know, they might get into it next year or maybe later on in the semester, you know.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_03: But if you offer your space right away and you get on the list, you know, you're there's between Northeast Clinton and now Comanche does a full week uh called J Term.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, we all of our and then Riverbend also has their own as well, and we all get together and workshop this.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_02: We're not too hard on Emerson.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_02: Uh mainly because he's bigger than both of us.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, he had like the tackle of the week.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_02: His dad sent me a video at the hit of the week.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, he's not your kid.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_02: He definitely takes after his mother.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_02: But that's great.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_02: I love this.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_02: I I totally wish they had the schoolwork program back in the day when I was in school.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, Emerson's doing it, uh they all do, but Emerson is doing it the right reasons, which is why it's so important to offer your business.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_03: Is he just knows the word business, and that's what he wants to do.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_03: And you can wait till you get into college and figure out what type of business.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, an MBA sounds great.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, this way he wants to see all the different aspects of what business means.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and you know, and marketing something that's like has his interest.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, he wants to see like what we all do in our own departments, just so he knows when he his college of his choosing, as he likes to say.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_03: Uh when he goes to his college of choosing to play football, yeah.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_03: Uh he That's awesome.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_03: Well, mine was military or the military.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_03: Uh well, mine was loser's last chance.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_03: It was Lincoln Land Community College.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: So will Emerson be hosting this someday?
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: Is that how that's gonna go?
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: I want to know when that's gonna happen.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_03: It was job shadowing, not job taking.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_02: So you got the CTE stuff.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_02: You're planning for the construction and the improvements to the to the aging facility and doing some amazing things with that bond referendum we were able to pass.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_02: What else is going on?
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: I got homecoming.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: Homecoming next week.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we're week ready, right?
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: We kick it off.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we kick it off Sunday.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you come on out, it's under the seat is our theme this year.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_02: Under the seat.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: And our student council has been working really hard to kick it off here.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_02: For sure.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like uh most schools in the area, Sunday we'll have food trucks on site, we'll have powder puff football going.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_02: Nice.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_02: We move inside.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody's in there.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we do manball.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's a pretty great opportunity.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: And families are invited to join us too.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_01: That's the best part.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_01: Uh little kids get to come and see the festivities and uh look forward to their time when it's a good thing.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the other day I was speaking to a group of high schoolers and I was like, you know, how many of you think that these four years, you know, ninth through twelfth, go by extremely slow?
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_02: And they all raise their hand.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, just wait till you start paying bills.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_02: And then four years go like that.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_02: And you don't realize how good you have it in high school until you're out, until you get kind of smacked with the reality of life and you reflect back, kind of like Al Bundy for Mario Children, you know, four touchdowns in one game.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, you always have that kind of nostalgic vision of what high school was like.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_02: But I love Northeast.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_02: I really do.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_02: I enjoy coming there every time I'm there for You were out for a few events in the spring.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: I got to see you out there a little bit.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I've been there, and there's students are always so cordial and professional and approachable, and I really just enjoy the culture that you guys have.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_01: That makes me happy to hear because that's what we strive for.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I'm sure, you know, like you guys, some of the best memories kids make happen during homecoming week.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and as they come back for five year, 10 year, we've had some 50 year uh reunions come through over the summer, and it's really um exciting to hear them reflect on oh, back during homecoming week, this is what we did and how it was.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_03: And so, yeah, it's it's I missed 90 days my senior year, so I don't really think.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: You really weren't, yeah.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_02: You can't touch us now though.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: We're all we're almost I'm in my 40s.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_02: He's almost in his 40s.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_02: Where's that permanent record at now?
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_02: That's so cool.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I was back home in Pennsylvania, like I said, the end of July, and it's amazing how I just I gave a couple of my friends a call and I said I'm in town, and they showed up, and it was like we've it's like we never stopped being friends, you know, and we hadn't spoken for a long time.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, I just picked right up and you know, we had some crazy times in high school.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_02: But also while I was home, and not to impress you, but I held a swimming record for 34 years, and ironically enough, the week I'm home is the weekend is broken.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_02: What was the record?
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it was a 50, well, it was a mixed medley for for swimming for in Pennsylvania.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_02: We swim in the summertime as well, competitively.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_02: So it was myself, a buddy of mine named John Hanaho, uh Justin Wozneeski, who has passed since, and then Thane Norman.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_02: And we held that record for 34 years.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_02: Wow, that's quite a long time.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_02: And then the kids that broke it, uh they they didn't destroy it, they broke it.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's still broken.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but it was funny because my buddy coaches soccer and one of the kids was on the team.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_02: He's like, You should just come over, like get out of your truck and start running towards the soccer film.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_02: And I'll tell him, like, he's so mad, dude.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, but you reflect back, and I mean it's just amazing.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, you know, I graduated in 2000, and so 26 years ago, and I'm sitting there with my buddies, and we're we're reminiscing, and we're able to share like details of our things that we did, good or bad.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_02: And it was just awesome.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_01: That is cool.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so you're really creating an awesome atmosphere there, not only for learning, but for helping those young professionals grow and develop.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_01: That's the goal.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: That's all our goal.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_03: They have a great theater program as well.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, shows coming up.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, not set yet.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: They're, I think, in the in the works of getting some dates set and all of that.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_02: I love going to watch high school theater.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: I take my daughter to it, it's fun.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_01: How old's your daughter now?
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, well, my oldest is going to be 17.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_02: And then my youngest will be five.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: Busy, busy.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: You are, you are.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_02: I can tell you what, raising kids in your 20s, much different than your 40s.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_01: I can relate to that.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_02: She's like, Daddy, get down on the floor and play with me.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, Daddy will, but daddy's not getting back up for a little while.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_03: So I was back home visiting family or my friends, and they have a like a four-year-old and like a two-year-old.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_03: And uh Matt loves kids, by the way.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so that was my job was to give like horseback rides and play prisoner and just roll in the grass for like an hour.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_03: And I was worried I was gonna wake up the next morning and feel it on the joints, but you know, it's still still youthful, I guess.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_03: But yes, it was just that's exactly what Tim was saying.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_03: It was like, this is it's so tiring.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_03: Like every day you want me to build another fort.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_02: When did they stop?
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_02: So, what have you noticed going into the 2026-27 school year?
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_02: And you've been the superintendent there for what, three years now?
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: Nope, starting my second.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: Second feels like it's been three.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_02: So, what have you noticed?
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_02: Like, what has changed in in education, specifically just K through 12 in general?
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's funny.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_01: I think people think there's been a lot of changes, but what I would say is I think people still value, kids still value knowing their structure, there's routine when they come to school, there's love.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so I think it's many of the same things we would have said we valued.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm connecting with my teacher.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like um I'm being challenged when I show up to school and what I'm being asked to do.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think those foundational pieces of of what schools provide still exist.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_01: I think what's grown is opportunities.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_01: So back to our comment about welding, Woods Lab, our family consumer science pathways or culinary.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: Like there's way more options for kids, but I think that goes back to engagement.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_01: Like in the foundation of everything, it is about helping kids experience things to either decide is that a path I want to continue unpacking or not.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and sometimes the school to work experiences create this like, I thought I wanted to go into this pathway and I've decided now.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: It's not.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: It's it doesn't live up to what I want.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that that range has gotten bigger.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_01: And then from a small school lens, like continuing to figure out how do we manage all those pieces in service of our kids.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so um, I think that's just a balancing act every year as we as we deal with um, you know, the expectations from the legislators and the department of education and laws and our budgets in deciding like, okay, so what do our kids need and how do we use every dollar very, very purposefully?
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_02: So what motivated you to, I mean, you were a teacher from the start, an educator.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: And now in administration, what was that path?
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_02: What did that look like for you?
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_01: So I actually started my teaching career here in the Clinton system, um, Washington Middle School.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: Cougars.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, it was wonderful.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_01: It was a middle school math teacher.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I am still friends with many of those colleagues to this day.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's because you just really build strong relationships to serve your students and your teams.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, from there, I moved over to Clinton High School.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: I was an administrator over there.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that path to go into administration was because I was influenced by the educators I was getting to work with every day and my administrative team.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and seeing like, oh, the impact we get to have together.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_01: I want to learn more about leadership.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_01: Because you know, that move is, you know, you're one more step away from working with kids.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: But um, I looked at it as, well, I get to work with teachers to help them be even better.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_01: And so my I get to spread myself even even further.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then over at Clinton High School, I got to work on a great administrative team where you're on a team of four or five people and you're getting to uh collaborate and work through situations and again try to create create the best system possible for kids.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, my second year there, um, that is when the Northeast principalship position opened up.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_01: And as you guys know, I graduated from Northeast.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, and it became this a little bit of an internal challenge like, am I ready to consider leading a building by myself?
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, is going home the right move for me?
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_01: I think everyone can relate to those internal things you have to think through.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I thought, well, it's it's it's open for a reason.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: It ended up um, you know, it was the right time and the right fit.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: So served that for about six years.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: And as you can imagine, I went from being on a very large administrative team at Clinton High High School to just myself and one other colleague.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but that's when you use your local network.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: I still stayed in contact with my Clinton High team.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then, you know, you do that for several years.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_01: And I had a young family.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_01: I was raised in, I had actually my third son when I was principal out there.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so then you start going, oh, can I run this pace for the rest of my life?
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_01: And what's this look like?
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: And then the AEA opportunity came up um to go be a regional administrator.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: And what a great opportunity to like, okay, now I'm gonna go see even bigger systems, learn about uh like a Davenport system and the Bettendorf system.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: Anyway, got to jump in and do some learning and then yep, back there now as a superintendent.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_02: Now, as a superintendent, one of the things that people don't realize is you are obviously employed by the district, yeah, but you basically you work for a school board.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_01: I work for a a board of five great directors, but yes.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_02: And much like my position too.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_02: And there's a lot of different dynamics when you work with a board, especially if you have uh a vast cornucopia of personalities.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_02: But we know some people that are on your board, and it's seems like a very decent board.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_01: Very supportive.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_02: Supportive.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, visionary, foundationally value what we're about out at Northeast.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: Good.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, they were you know the the backside factors to that facilities conversation and leading up to when I stepped in last year to to go after the bond referendum.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was our board of directors saying, Hey, we're ready for this, let's They hosted in many of the facility committee meetings.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I think that's powerful when your when your school community can see your your board of directors being the one actively leading those conversations.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um and it was a huge part to why it passed last November.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_02: Excellent.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_01: What's next?
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_01: Well, we're gonna get those buildings built.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_01: I think I think my community needs to see some action.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, the last eight months we've been in design.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so you know, we'll put things out through our website.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_01: But when you actually see fencing going up, trailers getting moved in, and um work happening, I think then there'll be a little bit more buzz and excitement.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_01: And um, we'll of course have to navigate rerouting of traffic during our pickup and all of that.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_01: But um, I our families will understand because they'll physically see what's going on.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then the excitement comes because kids will start to see the spaces we're creating for them.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I look forward to in a year and a half having an open house to be able to show the community.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, here's where your tax dollars went, here's what your contributors are.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we could do a ribbon cutting.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_02: Ceremonial.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: Maddie will be there.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_02: He'll wear the rebels.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: You have a you have a costume?
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: You have like a not necessarily a costume, but I think what we could have you do is we have a strength and conditioning remodel going.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_03: We could have you practice benching on the I've never ran, I've never worked out.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_03: I've lost him there, did I?
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_03: He had him a costume.
• 23:14
  unknown: Yeah.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_01: Well, we could come up with a costume if you want.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_02: Unless you know we were uh Matt was walking up along on uh Sixth Avenue here in Clinton, and uh a friend of ours, mutual friend of ours, came out and said something.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_02: Now it wasn't Halloween or anything.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um anyways, he was doing something, and he re his friend this friend of ours required a wig, a blonde wig.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_02: And Matt seemed to just have one in his car.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: And so he's just like, I can grab him.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, Maddie's not he's not ashamed to put on a costume.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: Always running with the game.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_03: Like right in front of a bank, too.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_03: So the friend's like, do you like this is really weird?
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_03: That's what we do.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so you never know with Maddie.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_02: You gotta watch him.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_02: He's like smoke through a keyhole.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_02: One second he's there, next second he's missing.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_02: You don't know what he's doing.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's you know, why um so you know Emerson, when he was here, we were showing him grants, and he had mentioned that did you guys recently get um a grant either for technology or to augment any of this?
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_03: Or perhaps maybe he was talking about the bond referendum.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: I bet he was mentioning the bond, yeah, the bottom report.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: Now it is on our radar.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, as we move past the bond, we are gonna need some additional support.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we've already been talking, you know, you have to proactively plan as you go after those grants.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_01: It's uh it's a year, year and a half out in front where you're not an easy thing to do.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's not, and you have to be very visionary with what you need.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_01: But we're that's already on our radar of our next steps.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: Are we gonna consider um some of that stuff?
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_02: Well, Alicia, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast again.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_02: Is there anything else you want to add before we close this out?
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_01: I just always appreciate the opportunity to to speak about Northeast, but more importantly, just uh about what we're about here on the eastern side of Iowa.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_01: And I know I joke with Mr.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_01: about Superintendent Schaefer and and Dr.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_01: Golden, but uh, you know, we really just are excited about what we're building here together on this side and the culture.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_01: And uh thank you again for the opportunity just to share and highlight Northeast.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_02: You know, Girl Clinton's a huge fan of all of you.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_02: I think just the way the stars aligned up, everybody retired, superintendent-wise, uh the preceding superintendents, and you guys all came in brand spanking new.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, we even acknowledged you guys uh a few months ago with a award because of your collaboration, because it wasn't always like that.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_02: You know, often when I first moved here, it was very there was like walls between the districts, and there wasn't a lot of collaboration.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_02: But now with some new leadership, I'm definitely seeing it, and it is much appreciated.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you for that.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_02: So Maddie, it's Friday.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_02: Big plans this weekend, buddy.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, see, we've got uh lots of YWCA activities.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_03: Don't tell me about it.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_02: Sunday morning, 5 30 a.m.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_02: Most truly will be spitting the ones and twos as the DJ and MC of the 15th annual Clinton YWCA half marathon.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, there's trivia.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_03: Finally, Fridays tonight, tomorrow's a bunch of different stuff, but then for the YW is there block party on 5th, and then as Andy said, Sunday is the 5K, 10K, or half marathon, depending on what you're I'll do neither of them.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_03: Funny was like yesterday or Wednesday.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_03: Wednesday of Kawanis, uh, Shannon was like, Well, is that you running, Matt?
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, I've never ran a day in my life, so I know that's Matt's running.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_02: You need to run.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_02: Something's happening.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_02: No, it'll be fun.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_02: I'll be out there, yeah, Sunday.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, may swing out Saturday night.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_02: We'll see.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_02: But weather's supposed to be, you know, a little chilly, I think, in the morning at 5 30 and a little overcast.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_02: But we always have a great group of runners out there.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't run, I run my mouth, and I'm like, that's burning calories, too.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_02: You know, trying to pronounce some of these last names, that's ridiculous.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_02: So, yeah, busy weekend, Alicia.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_02: Enjoy your weekend.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_02: Go, Hawks.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_00: Go hawks.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_02: There you go.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, a little sci hawk action going on.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_02: So very excited about that.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_02: When is your homecoming football game?
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: Next Friday night.
• 26:43
  unknown: Nice.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_02: What are you playing?
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: Comanche comes to town.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, nice.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_02: Rebels in the storm.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_03: See if Emerson makes the tackle of the week again.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, don't worry.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_02: His dad'll send us a video.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: All right, everybody.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_02: Remember, if you are not subscribed, please do so.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_02: Wherever you get your podcast, just search Grow Clinton Podcast and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_02: Enjoy your weekend, folks.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_02: We'll talk again soon.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_02: Stay classy.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_02: See ya.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for listening to the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_02: Be sure to subscribe and follow us on all your socials.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_02: Until next time.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_02: See ya.