Retired Superintendent Returns In Interim Position

When then Ramsey School District Superintendent Bruce DeYoung retired in 2006, his plan was to travel and spend as much time as possible with his nine grandkids.

However, when Roy Montesano, who replaced DeYoung in 06, retired in June, and a superintendent search last school year proved unsuccessful, school officials called the experienced educator to hop back into the district’s top job. DeYoung said he was excited for the opportunity to come back to the district for one year as an interim.

“It’s terrific being back,” DeYoung, who took over the job July 1, said. “It’s like I never left.”

Before retiring, DeYoung spent 28 years in the district. He was a math teacher, supervisor, curriculum director, and spent the last 14 years of his career as superintendent.

“Coming back now is very exciting. Ramsey has a lot of new things happening,” he said. According to DeYoung, some of the new focuses the district will have for the 2012-2013 school year include:

• A new administrative team. Four of Ramsey’s five schools have new principals this year. “We have a few people who have been in the district but are new to their positions, and we have a few new faces,” DeYoung said. "It's a great administrative team."
• 21st century skills. The district is working to develop skills in its students that colleges and jobs are identifying as important skills, DeYoung said. These include teaching students how to work in groups, communicate with others, work together from remotes locations, and other similar skills.
• The iPad initiative. Starting this fall, all eighth grade students at the will receive iPads. According to DeYoung, the pads will follow the students to high school, and a new supply will be given to next year’s eighth graders. “In a few years, everyone from the eighth grade up will be on iPads,” he said. The ultimate goal is for the district to reduce the number of desktop and laptop computers it uses.
• New teacher evaluations. The district will be continuing its investigation into the different state-mandated options of new teacher evaluation systems to decide which one it wants to implement.
• HIB. In Ramsey, deterring harassment, intimidation and bullying is “always a high priority,” DeYoung said. The district will continue this year to “try to head off bullying,” he said.
• Q-SAC. The district will be undergoing state monitoring and evaluation this spring.

Ramsey students start school September 6. Continue to follow Patch for updates on the district's new policies for this year.

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