Saturday, Nov. 07, 2009

Olathe names new superintendent

The next superintendent of Olathe schools said the district faces what may be its most difficult financial challenge in decades.

Marlin Berry, who was a school superintendent in Abilene and the Smoky Valley Public School system, will become Olathe’s next superintendent when the current superintendent, Pat All, retires June 30.

Berry, 53, came to the Olathe district from Abilene in 2007, where he became superintendent in 2000. He served as the superintendent of Smoky Valley Public Schools in Lindsborg from 1991 to 2000. After coming to Olathe, he served as the district’s assistant superintendent for administration.

On the day Berry was selected by the Olathe Board of Education, budget forecasters in Topeka warned that the state needed to cut $235 million more from this year’s budget.

In May, legislators cut hundreds of millions of dollars in state spending. In response, public schools sliced $167 million and eliminated 3,700 jobs.

Berry said the district must work hard to prepare children to be successful, which gets harder every year because of the financial challenge and greater diversity among the student population.

He also noted that the bar measuring student success is raised every year.

“Additionally, we are facing the financial challenges that we are experiencing in our state, and it’s impacting our school district…so we’ll need to step up and do whatever we can to continue our focus on student learning,” he said.

Berry said he probably has not seen a greater challenge to public education in his 31 years in an educator.

“What I’m pleased about is that we have such tremendous teachers, and they’re led by very good principals,” he said. “With that kind of combination, I really think we’re going to work through this challenge.”

Between 1982 and 1985, Berry was principal of the Gardner Edgerton High School.

He earned a bachelor of science degree in English and journalism education from the University of Kansas in 1978; master of education in education administration from Emporia State University in 1982; and doctorate in education policy and administration in 1988 from KU.

“The Board of Education believes that Dr. Berry’s collaborative style of leadership will greatly benefit the district as we continue to be challenged by reductions in funding while fulfilling our mission of preparing students for their future,” said Rita Ashley, school board president.

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