Post by gatormom on Jun 12, 2007 7:22:17 GMT -6
A permanent legacy for superintendent
By Melissa Jenco
Daily Herald
June 12, 2007
Indian Prairie Unit District 204 gave retiring Superintendent Howard Crouse a permanent symbol of its appreciation Monday for his 26 years of service.
The school board voted to name the district’s administrative office building the Howard E. Crouse District Leadership Center.
“You are the captain and rudder of our vessel, and we stand tall in your wake,” board member Jeannette Clark said. “We salute you and your legacy.”
Crouse’s namesake at 780 Shoreline Drive in Aurora opened in 1998 and houses the district’s administrative offices and preschool. The district includes parts of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield.
Crouse began his teaching career in 1972 in Darien Elementary District 61. He joined Indian Prairie in 1981 as an elementary principal. In 2004, he took over as the district’s superintendent.
He created “an environment where staff could take their jobs seriously but not take themselves too seriously, where teachers learned to be quicker to listen and slower to speak, and most importantly, where students were always placed at the forefront of every decision,” the board declared in a proclamation for Crouse.
Clark said Crouse helped to transform District 204 from a farming community to one of the largest districts in the state, growing from 5,400 students to almost 29,000.
“He always stood quietly aside as the limelight shone brightly through the best of times and, yet never hesitated to stand in the spotlight ... (in the worst of times),” she said.
Some of the most challenging times came during numerous boundary changes and referendums, including the most recent $124.7 million tax increase to build Metea Valley High School, which voters approved in 2006.
Board President Mark Metzger said through it all, Crouse’s main concern has always been for the students — all students.
“I think the thing most people don’t recognize that really speaks volumes about Howie is the fact that it’s the kids otherwise lost in the system that he fights hardest for,” Metzger said.
Crouse was near tears as he accepted the honor. He credited his colleagues past and present for his long list of accomplishments.
“They taught me so much about leadership, caring, about class, about kids,” he said.
After his contract with the district ends June 30, Crouse plans to take a job with PMA Financial. Stephen Dasechner, head of Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Ky., will replace Crouse as superintendent.
By Melissa Jenco
Daily Herald
June 12, 2007
Indian Prairie Unit District 204 gave retiring Superintendent Howard Crouse a permanent symbol of its appreciation Monday for his 26 years of service.
The school board voted to name the district’s administrative office building the Howard E. Crouse District Leadership Center.
“You are the captain and rudder of our vessel, and we stand tall in your wake,” board member Jeannette Clark said. “We salute you and your legacy.”
Crouse’s namesake at 780 Shoreline Drive in Aurora opened in 1998 and houses the district’s administrative offices and preschool. The district includes parts of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield.
Crouse began his teaching career in 1972 in Darien Elementary District 61. He joined Indian Prairie in 1981 as an elementary principal. In 2004, he took over as the district’s superintendent.
He created “an environment where staff could take their jobs seriously but not take themselves too seriously, where teachers learned to be quicker to listen and slower to speak, and most importantly, where students were always placed at the forefront of every decision,” the board declared in a proclamation for Crouse.
Clark said Crouse helped to transform District 204 from a farming community to one of the largest districts in the state, growing from 5,400 students to almost 29,000.
“He always stood quietly aside as the limelight shone brightly through the best of times and, yet never hesitated to stand in the spotlight ... (in the worst of times),” she said.
Some of the most challenging times came during numerous boundary changes and referendums, including the most recent $124.7 million tax increase to build Metea Valley High School, which voters approved in 2006.
Board President Mark Metzger said through it all, Crouse’s main concern has always been for the students — all students.
“I think the thing most people don’t recognize that really speaks volumes about Howie is the fact that it’s the kids otherwise lost in the system that he fights hardest for,” Metzger said.
Crouse was near tears as he accepted the honor. He credited his colleagues past and present for his long list of accomplishments.
“They taught me so much about leadership, caring, about class, about kids,” he said.
After his contract with the district ends June 30, Crouse plans to take a job with PMA Financial. Stephen Dasechner, head of Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Ky., will replace Crouse as superintendent.
