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The Hutchinson Board of Education hired
former assistant superintendent
Jan Strecker
to serve as interim superintendent
to serve as interim superintendent
for one year, beginning
July 6.
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The choice of Strecker to pinch-hit as the district's staff leader gives the board time to take a less hurried approach to seeking a full-time replacement for Superintendent David Flowers, who will become superintendent in West Fargo, N.D., on July 1.
Strecker, who retired in July 2009 after serving a little over four years as assistant superintendent for student learning, will be serving her third tour of duty with the Hutchinson schools.
"I have a great passion for this district," she said. "I have invested a great deal of my life in this district."
Strecker's first job in education was as a fifth-grade teacher at Hutchinson's now closed Grandview Elementary in 1967. She taught in the district for 12 years, during which she also taught second grade, kindergarten, in a language development classroom and in a developmentally delayed first grade.
In 1985, her family moved to Great Bend and she taught fifth grade. In 1987 she became a teaching principal at Shady Grove, a two-room school in Great Bend. In 1988, Strecker became principal of Jefferson Elementary in Great Bend.
From 1992 to 1995 she was principal of Hesston Middle School, and in 1997 she served as interim principal in Sterling.
Strecker began her second tour with the Hutchinson schools later in 1997, when she became principal at Graber Elementary. After seven years, she became director of elementary education and then assistant superintendent in 2005.
She retired in 2009, after the unexpected death of her husband, and moved to Lawrence to be closer to her two sons and her grandchildren.
"I've spent a lot of time with my grandchildren and I've remodeled an antique home," she said. "I also took a master gardener's course and I've volunteered at the hospital in a program called Life Stories and I've been doing a lot of writing."
One of her poems even won the nonprofessional category in a contest sponsored by the Kansas Arts Commission. She's also working on a memoir of her mother's life and her cooking and recipes.
Despite staying so busy in her retirement, when she learned that Flowers was leaving she contacted Max Heim, the consultant from the Kansas Association of School Boards hired to help with the search for a new superintendent, and told him that she might be interested if the board decided to go with an interim superintendent for one year.
On Monday, the board interviewed Strecker for 90 minutes, then during their regular meeting voted 6-0 to hire her, pending resolution of the final details of a contract.
Strecker said she was definitely interested in running the district on an interim basis only. "I'm not going to sell my house in Lawrence," she said.
She said that because of a previously planned trip to Washington, D.C., she will not be in the district office full time until it reopens after the July 4 holiday weekend on July 6.
"One reason I didn't hesitate to come back is that there is such a strong central office staff," she said. "And I know that because I've worked with them."
Strecker received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Kansas State University in 1967. She later earned a master's in education administration from Wichita State University and her district-level accreditation from Fort Hays State University.
She watched on Monday night as the board approved new elementary attendance boundaries and tighter rules governing transfers from one school to another. Ironically, that was a project she worked on during her final year as an assistant superintendent.
"We've had this conversation for a long time," she said, "so it's nice that it's being addressed."
Photo taken at the 2008 Paradise Reunion →
Strecker, who retired in July 2009 after serving a little over four years as assistant superintendent for student learning, will be serving her third tour of duty with the Hutchinson schools.
"I have a great passion for this district," she said. "I have invested a great deal of my life in this district."
Strecker's first job in education was as a fifth-grade teacher at Hutchinson's now closed Grandview Elementary in 1967. She taught in the district for 12 years, during which she also taught second grade, kindergarten, in a language development classroom and in a developmentally delayed first grade.
In 1985, her family moved to Great Bend and she taught fifth grade. In 1987 she became a teaching principal at Shady Grove, a two-room school in Great Bend. In 1988, Strecker became principal of Jefferson Elementary in Great Bend.
From 1992 to 1995 she was principal of Hesston Middle School, and in 1997 she served as interim principal in Sterling.
Strecker began her second tour with the Hutchinson schools later in 1997, when she became principal at Graber Elementary. After seven years, she became director of elementary education and then assistant superintendent in 2005.
She retired in 2009, after the unexpected death of her husband, and moved to Lawrence to be closer to her two sons and her grandchildren.
"I've spent a lot of time with my grandchildren and I've remodeled an antique home," she said. "I also took a master gardener's course and I've volunteered at the hospital in a program called Life Stories and I've been doing a lot of writing."
One of her poems even won the nonprofessional category in a contest sponsored by the Kansas Arts Commission. She's also working on a memoir of her mother's life and her cooking and recipes.
Despite staying so busy in her retirement, when she learned that Flowers was leaving she contacted Max Heim, the consultant from the Kansas Association of School Boards hired to help with the search for a new superintendent, and told him that she might be interested if the board decided to go with an interim superintendent for one year.
On Monday, the board interviewed Strecker for 90 minutes, then during their regular meeting voted 6-0 to hire her, pending resolution of the final details of a contract.
Strecker said she was definitely interested in running the district on an interim basis only. "I'm not going to sell my house in Lawrence," she said.
She said that because of a previously planned trip to Washington, D.C., she will not be in the district office full time until it reopens after the July 4 holiday weekend on July 6.
"One reason I didn't hesitate to come back is that there is such a strong central office staff," she said. "And I know that because I've worked with them."
Strecker received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Kansas State University in 1967. She later earned a master's in education administration from Wichita State University and her district-level accreditation from Fort Hays State University.
She watched on Monday night as the board approved new elementary attendance boundaries and tighter rules governing transfers from one school to another. Ironically, that was a project she worked on during her final year as an assistant superintendent.
"We've had this conversation for a long time," she said, "so it's nice that it's being addressed."
Photo taken at the 2008 Paradise Reunion →
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(Thank You Devin Strecker for sharing this news release with us.)
(Thank You Devin Strecker for sharing this news release with us.)
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