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Liberty superintendent enjoys challenge
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Stan Watson, new superintendent of Liberty Local Schools, has more than 30 years of experience in education. Though he retired as superintendent in Austintown, Watson said he returned to education because he likes the challenge of a school district and enjoys working with students.
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Stan Watson, new superintendent of Liberty Local Schools, has more than 30 years of experience in education. Though he retired as superintendent in Austintown, Watson said he returned to education because he likes the challenge of a school district and enjoys working with students. Here, he talks to senior Elmer Luke.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
LIBERTY
Stan Watson likes a challenge and cares about kids.
He brings a wealth of experience and educational background to his position as superintendent in Liberty Local Schools. After a search by the Liberty board of education, Watson was selected, and his three-year contract went into effect July 1.
Watson acknowledged there is one thing he’s not skilled at, and that’s retirement — at least not yet. “I wasn’t good at retirement,” said Watson, who retired in 2005 as superintendent of Austintown School District then continued for two more years as a consultant.
Watson’s career in education began in 1974 as a teacher. “I like the challenge of a school district,” he said. “I also appreciate the opportunity to work with kids.”
Watson said the element of diversity is especially intriguing in Liberty. “There’s tremendous diversity here ... culturally, economically,” he said. The superintendent said the diversity brings a richness and strength to the student body and a challenge to teachers to reach each student. His overall goal is academic success for each student. “We have to break down the barriers to education,” he said.
Liberty has an “excellent” rating by the Ohio Department of Education Report Card. Watson said reading and math skills always can be improved. He said the challenge at Liberty and other school districts is applying various teaching techniques because students don’t all learn the same. “Our job is finding out what kind of learners the kids are and providing different kinds of instruction,” he said. “We have to make sure they’re getting it ... that they’re learning.”
Watson’s 30-plus years in education give him a wealth of information that helps him in his role as superintendent. He spent about a dozen years as a teacher, served as a football and softball coach, was an assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent. “There’s not much in education I haven’t done,” he said.
Watson credited Rich Denamen, former superintendent in Austintown while he was assistant, with helping fine-tune his knowledge of operating a school district. “I got a great deal of experience in business and finance,” he said. “I learned a lean, effective way.”
Watson said his goal in Liberty is to achieve and maintain “great production in the most cost-effective way.”
He said the state asks school districts to do more all the time but the test is accomplishing that within the district’s means. Watson said the challenge is the “dichotomous symbiotic relationship” of the elements in education.
From what he has seen so far, Liberty has “a tremendous professional and support staff.” “The student body is respectful and responsive to leaders,” he said.
Watson said it’s been his experience that “kids want to be involved and know teachers care.” He said a comment by Lee Tressel, father of Jim Tressel, Ohio State University football coach, has stayed with him. “Kids don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”
Students return to school Monday and Watson said he hopes they see how much he “truly cares.”