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School board press release on Dr. Stellar

Burke County School Board Controversy

More articles about the Burke County School Board Controversy

Burke County Board of Education

Tracy Norman, chair

Published: September 29, 2009

Morganton, NC - Editor's note: The following is the Burke County Board of Education's press release about its hiring of Dr. Art Stellar as superintendent of schools.

On Sept. 29, 2009, the Burke County Board of Education voted to hire Dr. Art Stellar as its new superintendent of schools. The board, the school system and the community are very fortunate to be able to hire someone with Dr. Stellar's experience, skills and abilities.
Dr. Stellar has two decades of experience as a superintendent, serving most recently as superintendent of the Taunton Public Schools in Taunton, Massachusetts, from 2005 through the end of June, 2009. He has also been Superintendent of Schools in Mercer County, West Virginia; Oklahoma City; Cobb County, Georgia; Kingston, New York; and was Deputy and Acting Superintendent in Boston. Dr. Stellar began his career in education in Ohio as a fifth grade teacher and school bus driver. His extensive experience also includes service as a middle school teacher, special education teacher, as a principal, and in various central office positions, as well as working in the private sector. He has taught at Lesley University and has published more than 60 articles on educational topics, and scores of other articles and publications.
Dr. Stellar holds a Ph.D., in Education Administration from Ohio University. He also has a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Elementary School Administration from that institution.
Dr. Stellar and his wife Debbie have two sons, Matt and Jon. Debbie holds a Doctor of Education and has been principal at a nationally recognized "Blue Ribbon School," and is currently principal of a feeder school to another "Blue Ribbon
School" in Massachusetts. Their children are graduates of Boston University and American University, respectively, and both were Eagle Scouts as well as athletes and musicians. (Dr. Stellar is also an Eagle Scout, having earned that distinction at the age of 12.)
In his spare time, Dr. Stellar enjoys collecting antiques and various memorabilia. He is an avid runner and enjoys competing in marathons.
Through his experience, Dr. Stellar has demonstrated that he is a gifted mentor and instructional leader. Forty-six of his proteges have gone on to become school superintendents. The systems in which he has worked are noted for having achieved significant gains in student achievement under his leadership. For example, the Taunton Public Schools achieved the top ranking in English language arts and was second in math among the 22 urban districts in Massachusetts, despite experiencing high rates of poverty and being next to last in per pupil spending. The school system was one of only two urban districts to make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress, under the No Child Left Behind Act) for three years in a row. The dropout rate improved to 4.2% from 6.8%, and Dr. Stellar enhanced the instructional delivery system through the addition of computers, smartboards, and specialized software programs. A Taunton school recently earned "National Blue Ribbon" status-one of three schools so named from Massachusetts. While under Dr. Stellar's leadership, students in Kingston, NY, achieved a higher passing standard on state assessments than the state as a whole. In Oklahoma City, Dr. Stellar and his staff reduced the number of at-risk/low performing schools from 32 to 3 in a seven-year period, while test scores for district-wide grade levels improved by an average of 20 percentile points.
Dr. Stellar's financial experience includes resolving financial problems while in Taunton, leading the passage of the first bond and budget ballot issues in Kingston and overseeing the balancing of Boston's school district budgets, which resulted in three year-end surpluses. In Mercer County, WV, Dr. Stellar completed a bond construction program which resulted in six new schools and renovations to 30 other schools. He has held significant leadership positions in some of the largest and best school systems in America, including Shaker Heights, Ohio, and Montgomery County, Maryland.
Dr. Stellar has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Crystal Star Award from the National Dropout Prevention Network/Center, the American Association of School Administrators' Leadership for Learning Award and Dr. Effie Jones Humanitarian Award, and the Environmental Stewardship Award from Energy Education, Inc.
Dr. Stellar has held national leadership positions in a number of organizations, and is the former national president for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the North American Chapter of the World Council for Curriculum and Instruction, and the Horace Mann League. He is the former chairman of the board for the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network of Clemson University and has served on the Board of Directors of Plato Learning, Inc., the Teachers Support Network, and Docufide, Inc. He is a former adjunct faculty member at Lesley College and has been a Fulbright Scholar for Japan, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil.
The Burke County Board of Education is confident that Dr. Stellar's wealth of experience and talent will greatly benefit the students of the Burke County Schools. The board looks forward to working with Dr. Stellar, the staff of the Burke County Schools, our students, parents and the public to improve the educational opportunities provided to our children, and to move the Burke County School System to the next level.
In conducting its search, the Burke County Board of Education read and considered the survey information and other input provided by citizens of Burke County and employees of the Burke County Schools, reviewed a large number of applications, conducted extensive interviews and background and reference checks of the candidates, and met several times to review and discuss the information collected. Dr. Stellar was chosen from a very competitive field of 25 highly qualified applicants. The board has been very deliberate, and appreciates the interest of the community in the process.
The decision to hire Dr. Stellar was made after careful consideration of all the current and existing needs of the Burke County School System. The Burke County Board of Education decided that the school system needs the experience, skills and abilities that Dr. Stellar brings with him in order to be able to work to enhance the performance of our schools and to prepare our students for work and education in a rapidly changing world.
It is very important that the public and staff have accurate information about Dr. Stellar and his background. Based upon information provided to the board through reference checks and otherwise, Dr. Stellar has had much success as superintendent in the districts in which he served. He has often served school systems that needed to make significant and difficult changes. Some critical changes, even when necessary, were not always well-received by community or board members. A year before his contract was set to expire, the Taunton School Committee voted not to renew his contract. The Burke County Board of Education, in its background research, found that this was due mainly to the school committee's concerns that Dr. Stellar's leadership style did not mesh with that of the school committee majority at the time. Dr. Stellar was very forthcoming with the board about the circumstances surrounding his leaving. The board determined in its background research that Dr. Stellar is a hard-working administrator with a solid, consistent and impressive track record of improving academic achievement.
Expressing his approach to leadership, Dr. Stellar offered the following description: "My leadership philosophy is built upon seven principles which I am proposing for widespread adoption: no secrets, no surprises, no politics, no distractions, no confusion, no waste, and no illusions." Dr. Stellar noted that, "The future of the Burke County Public Schools will be built on the commitment this community has to its children. The education of our children will be my highest priority. It is in the classroom and the living room where education succeeds. Learning will be our number one priority."
The Burke County Board of Education believes that, by hiring Dr. Stellar to lead the Burke County Schools, it is providing a great opportunity to move the school system forward. Dr. Stellar alone, however, cannot help our students succeed without the support and cooperation of staff, parents, students and community members. The board invites the entire community to commit its support to Dr. Stellar as he works to help our children be their very best. The board believes you will find him to be an honest, honorable, smart, innovative and exciting leader.
Please welcome Dr. Stellar to the Burke County community.