While interim Waco ISD Superintendent Dr. Hazel Rowe has no interest in a permanent position, she says she hopes to leave her mark by maintaining the improving district’s momentum in the wake of the resignation of Dr. A. Marcus Nelson.
“I plan on being a voice and a face…so that they know that they are not alone and that I am available to be out there with them,” Rowe said.
Nelson resigned on March 28, saying he didn’t want the question of his future after a misdemeanor marijuana arrest in Robertson County to become a divisive issue.
Rowe served as the district’s interim superintendent during the 2000-2001 school year and was a member of the board of Transformation Waco, the in-district charter created to oversee five struggling Waco schools.
“I plan on being a voice and a face…so that they know that they are not alone and that I am available to be out there with them,” Rowe said.
Rowe says she wants parents to know that right now the focus remains on doing what is best for the students.
“I am going to continue to keep the students in mind because this district exists to improve opportunities for students to be successful in life, so I think that’s one of the big pieces,” Rowe said.
Rowe said a lot has changed since she first served as interim superintendent in 2001.
She says technology has benefited school districts, improving their communication, engagement and efficiency.
“I look around this office and it’s almost paperless office now and when I was here before there was mail, papers and folders and just that aspect is a big change,” Rowe said.
She also says the environment and outreach on campuses has also changed.
“There is a lot more support on campuses now, than when I was interim before and that’s a real good opportunity to see that the schools are open to volunteers, parents and the community stepping up that’s a big part of it too,” Rowe said.
Rowe said the board is working on establishing a timeline to find the next superintendent for the district.
“I think there is goal is to get someone soon so that school isn’t interrupted more than what has already occurred so they can start next year ready to go,” Rowe said.
In a letter she sent this week to the district’s employees, she said “The next two months will be a critical time for all of us,” and reminded employees that STAAR testing starts on April 9.
“If you’re helping our kids prepare for the tests, stay focused on that. If you’re making sure that our kids have safe ways to get to school, nutritious meals or clean and comfortable classrooms, stay focused on that. We have to stay focused on giving our kids the support that they need to be successful,” she wrote.
Rowe’s career started in Clearfield, Utah, where she taught reading to at-risk high school students and adults.
She went on to teach fourth graders at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey and later at North Waco Elementary School.
She served as assistant principal and then principal of Waco’s Crestview Elementary School and then became the director of the district’s elementary operations.
She has also served as an assistant superintendent for campus operations and as associate superintendent for school improvement.
After ending her first stint as interim superintendent, she became associate executive director of the Region 12 Education Service Center in Waco, from which she retired in 2011.
After retirement, she continued to train current and future educators as an instructor in the doctoral program at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton and in the alternative teacher certification program at McLennan Community College in Waco.
— KWTX
