Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District will lose its superintendent, Barbara U’Ren, on Friday, June 30.
She recommended to the COCSD Governing Board that it appoint Assistant Superintendent Steve King to replace her.
U’Ren would not expand on her future plans beyond stating she would be pursuing other professional avenues, including consulting for the district.
“I knew this time would come, although when I wake up every day I’m still excited about the positive impact we can have on children,” U’Ren said. “I plan to leave my position with the same excitement that I’ve served with over the last 34 years.”
Among her accomplishments, U’Ren listed the hiring and retaining of quality teachers, staff and representatives throughout COCSD.
“Any accomplishments of the district are due to the high quality of leadership and staff that we employ,” U’Ren said. “Our board is highly functional and cohesive and their vision is that of offering choice to families and opportunities for children.
“The district culture is one of service. We are not perfect, but we try to make each day the perfect day for our students and our families. We are continually focused on system-wide improvements to support families and improve the work we do and the level of service we provide.”
Unlike other districts, both in and outside the state, COCSD has endeavored to foster community support to keep programs alive, according to U’Ren. Two overrides allowed the district to retain music, P.E. and other extracurricular activities. Additionally, a capital bond assured that the district’s buildings remain in good repair.
“The support is because our community understands that schools can’t do it alone,” she said. “Our biggest challenge was the great recession coupled with a continued decline in revenue for the district. However, during this time, we were able to reconfigure our schools, save money and assure that quality education continued. We were able to meet the needs of the children living in town and able to keep Oak Creek open. During this time, we opened a new IB school within an existing school, gaining options for families and generating additional revenue for the district.”
U’Ren added that years of oppressive accountability measures and testing of schools have left their mark on teachers, children and schools.
“For years our accountability has been a one-size-fits-all system,” she said. “This accountability system has pushed schools to focus on preparing children to take ‘the test,’ trying to avoid being assigned a label that does not always give the true picture of the work and progress that is being made with their students. COCSD has never shied away from accountability or our responsibility of assuring that all children demonstrate growth and are academically prepared …. Teaching today is rocket science and COCSD teachers do it very well.”
U’Ren spoke well of King, stating that he had a “servant’s heart” that has led him to place students first and establish fruitful relationships in the community.
