New Perry County superintendent enjoying challenge

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Four months into his new job, Perry County School District 32 superintendent Scott Ireland has garnered early praise from school board members for his plan to raise academic standards, enhance students' learning and improve the district's standing with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Ireland said in DESE's annual performance report, Perry County earned a 70.7 percent in 2013, meaning it is accredited, but it had received the Distinction in Performance award under previous Missouri School Improvement Program standards. Under Missouri School Improvement Program 5 standards, the newest edition, accredited schools earn 70 percent or more. The next level is accredited with distinction at 90 percent or more.

The lower-than-expected percentage was disappointing to Ireland, who contends the new standards are more weighted toward progress than actual achievement. DESE assistant commissioner for accountability Dennis Cooper said progress compares groups of students, such as this year's fourth-graders compared to last year's, and growth looks at all students who took assessments in math and English language arts.

"We have tried to incentivize growth. There are two levels of possible points they [districts] can earn for growth," but Cooper said DESE wants all students to score in the top two levels -- proficient and advanced -- on grade level in the MAP and end-of-course assessments.

This is the goal for all districts. To that end, Ireland said his administrative team met and presented a plan to the school board to bring the district's standing up.

Part of the plan includes providing additional time and tools for staff to collaborate and get training, changing the order in which social studies classes are taught to improve the district's history scores, and aligning curriculum to state standards so students receive the appropriate instruction in the order they will be tested.

"Our focus right now is on academic improvement," Ireland added. "We're wanting to make our district something that all other districts strive to be."

Communication

Board members said they were impressed Ireland approached them about improving the district's standing in state ratings and he has improved communication to the panel. Ireland said he thinks it's a "good practice" to get more people involved, fostering more support for programs and the "positive change" he's trying to implement.

Jeff Weibrecht, who has been on the school board for 11 years, said he's pleased Ireland wants to form more of an administrative team with everyone working toward the same goals.

Ireland also wants consistency throughout the district, which is something Weibrecht said he thinks the district has lacked previously. "I think he's moving in the right path that the board wants him to move in," Weibrecht said. "He's working toward that unified group, not that we didn't have it before. I know he's dealt with some situations on a very professional level. He was not happy with the [Missouri Assessment Program] scores. ... He's making goals high for himself. He's taken them on himself. He kind of brought them to us and said, 'Hey, we're not where we need to be.'"

Weibrecht said Ireland's pulling everyone together to talk about MAP scores firmly put him in Ireland's corner. "That's what it should be about -- academics. He's ambitious. We're going to try some things and if it works out, great. It's not like he's just standing back saying, 'Oh, well.' He's definitely going to change some things," Weibrecht said.

Good direction

Weibrecht said this is probably the best he's felt as a board member in a long time. "I do feel very positive about the direction we're headed, mainly because the lines of communication" are open, he said.

Board president Kevin Bachmann, who has been on the board for 10 years, liked the way Ireland presented himself and said he's done a good job of familiarizing himself with the district.

"He seemed down to Earth and to the point. He seemed to have good people skills -- just the way he spoke," Bachmann said.

Scott Cooper, in his 12th year on the board, said Ireland's been "very visible" throughout the district and is working to build relationships with the staff and school board.

"It's a two-way street. Overall, we've been very pleased with the direction [we're headed] at this point," Cooper said.

Some background

Ireland started his career in small school districts around Missouri and kept moving up through the years. He began his career as a physical education and middle-school science teacher at Niangua School District. He also was the boys' basketball coach and athletic director there.

He also has been at the Fordland School District, Montrose, where he was high school principal, athletic director and boys' basketball coach with superintendent duties added in his first year.

Ireland moved to Pleasant Hope as a superintendent in the 900-student district. He was hired by the Perry County district in February, but began his duties July 1 and makes $115,000 a year. He replaced the now-retired Kevin Dunn, who had been superintendent for six years and assistant superintendent for five.

Noting District 32 has 2,300 students, he said, "I don't think you can be effective if you have to have a hand in everything going on. The whole job is based on trust. Everybody here is trained in a specific area, and they should be experts in what they do."

Part of a military family, Ireland was born in Keflavik, Iceland, but he grew up in Seymour, Mo. His mother was a special-education director in Seymour.

He earned a bachelor's degree in education from Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State University) in Springfield. He earned a master's degree in administration from William Woods University in Fulton, Mo., a specialist in superintendency from University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo., and is working on a doctorate through Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo.

Kate Martin, district public information/marketing director, said the district received more than 20 applications for the district's top job. Those were narrowed to three before Ireland was selected.

Ireland and his wife, Karie, have twin boys, Trevor and Connor, in the seventh grade. The couple's oldest son, David, is in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Eustis, Va. David and his wife, Amanda, have two daughters, according to information from the district.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address:

326 College St., Perryville, MO