"I didn't go looking for this job"

The High Plains Dealer, a local paper that covers Liberal, Kansas, published a story about ISD's new deputy superintendent, Dr. Lance Stout.  Sounds like he was well-liked and respected in that community where he was part of the Liberal, KS school district for over 20 years.  No reason to question any of that.

There were some interesting tid-bits in the article.

“The decision was very hard,” he said. “I didn’t go looking for this job, and almost didn’t consider it. I love Western Kansas.” Having grown up in Sublette from 1968 to 1987, when he graduated high school, Stout only left the area to attend college at the University of Oklahoma. Then he and his wife, Jill — also a Sublette native — headed back to familiar territory.

Stout’s decision to accept the deputy superintendent job in Independence grew out of his professional friendship with newly-installed superintendent Dr. Daryl [sic] Herl.  “He’s a very good friend of mine, and earlier this year, he was hired for that position, with full latitude to hire a staff. He said, ‘Hey, I’d like you to consider coming in here as my right-hand man,’ and I said, ‘I don’t know. I love Liberal and I love my job.’ He said, ‘Well, just come take a look.’”

Here's the link to the ARTICLE.

We suppose that it is not unusual for a superintendent to be given wide latitude to gather his leadership team. Herl and Stout became friends as part of the same doctoral cohort at Wichita State.  However, the same courtesy is not extended to building principals.  Central Office administrators often dictate to building principals who can be hired as assistant principals or move them around without a principal's foreknowledge and approval.  Central Office also interferes regularly in the hiring and discipline of staff at the building level.  This makes it very difficult for a building principal to develop the leadership team that he or she wants to have at the school.

Interestingly, we found a link to Dr. Stout's doctoral dissertation at Wichita State University.  It is entitled, "Seeking Funds of Knowledge: Perceptions of Latino Families in a Rural School District in the Midwest United States."  Hopefully, some of that experience can help with the demographic changes occurring in Independence, especially in western Independence attendance areas.  PDF - Dissertation.

Other stuff:

ARTICLE about when Stout was selected as Superintendent of Liberal schools.

CONTROVERSY about whether or not the high school should have permitted a returning airman (22 years old) to escort (but not attend) the prom.  Afterwards, Stout said, “We are willing to work and find a remedy to this,” Stout said. “It is impossible to go back, but what we can do is make it better for the future.”  This is a welcome attitude - hopefully it continues.