By KIM ARCHER World Staff Writer on Jul 5, 2013, at 2:21 AM??Updated on 7/05/13 at 7:04 AM
Kirt Hartzler, the new superintendent at Union Public Schools, has spent most of his education career with the district and looks forward to maintaining its academic rigor. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
New Union Superintendent Kirt Hartzler is ready to continue the legacy that longtime chief Cathy Burden built over the past 19 years, one that includes academic rigor, early childhood education and community schools."Yes, I do have big shoes to fill, but our culture is going to be preserved. I don't want to step in here and say we need to redefine who we are," he said.
Two years ago, Union adopted a mission to graduate students who are "100 percent college and career-ready" and a 100 percent graduation rate.
"I will tell you that has redefined us as a district," Hartzler said. "When you tell a group of professionals, especially teachers and administrators, our goal is 100 percent graduation - not 99.5 percent, but 100 percent - it really changes your attitude."
The way to get to that goal is to foster students' trust and let them know that district staff will do everything in their power to help them succeed, he said.
"Every year, I tell new teachers, 'Kids don't really care how much you know as teachers at all until they know truly how much you care about them,' " Hartzler said. "When they see that and it's genuine, then kids will jump over mountains to learn for you."
But that doesn't mean the district will lessen its academic rigor or coddle students, he said.
"With this whole idea, we are finding we have more students taking (advanced placement) courses than ever before, and they are more successful," Hartzler said. "We're actually doing better academically today than we were 10 years ago. I think what makes us unique is a belief in the potential of our kids."
Hartzler hopes eventually to expand Union's community school concept beyond just Rosa Parks and Clark elementary schools to all sites in the district.
"If there's one program out there that we've instituted that's been a difference-maker, it's community schools," he said. "What we've seen - achievement results and engagement by students and parents - is absolutely amazing."
Community schools provide a web of community support to improve the emotional, physical and social development of its students so they are ready to learn.
With the exception of a three-year stint as head basketball coach in Bixby, Hartzler has spent his 28-year career at Union. He got his start as a classroom teacher, became a principal and worked his way through successive administration positions. His most recent post was deputy superintendent.
"I am a by-product of how public education can serve as a great equalizer," he said. "Public education is not only the greatest equalizer we have in our world and in society, but it really is the lifeblood of our democracy."
Hartzler says he stands ready to speak out against education reforms, such as school vouchers, that threaten to siphon funds from an already underfunded public education system.
Oklahoma's Lindsey Nicole Henry voucher program allows the use of public funds to send special-needs students to private schools.
"When you start dismantling funding to public schools, I think you start creating this inequity within education," Hartzler said.
The logic of vouchers and similar programs is akin to saying that since you rarely visit your county library then you should be given your portion of tax money to buy your own books, he said.
While not opposed to the Common Core state standards that take effect in 2014, he is troubled by some of its implications.
"My greatest concern with all this testing is that as humans we're inherently creative. When you think about what education should be, it's got to be more than just about math and English," Hartzler said.
"I don't want to go down the road of continuing to test these kids to death and putting so much emphasis on these core subjects that we neglect the arts, the humanities and physical education. There's got to be a balance."
Kim Archer 918-581-8315
kim.archer@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Super shoes to fill
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