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6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL MAY 9, 2018 Sullivan said after thanking the board. In a press release follow- ing the meeting, Sullivan was a long-term position after be- quoted as saying, "During this ing awarded the job by the South transitional year, it is important Lane School Board last month. to maintain, support and build The position of superintendent upon the exceptional programs will be left vacant on and services in the June 30 when super- South Lane School intendent Krista Par- District. Student ent retires in accor- learning and quality dance to an agreement instruction is our fi rst signed earlier this priority. I am looking year with the school forward to working Larry Sullivan district. with and listening to "I think we've said the board, administration, and plenty on Larry but he has a school staff. The schools are reputation across the county for important part of the commu- building bridges," South Lane nity, if not the hub. I want to School Board Chair Alan Baas engage and communicate with said. Baas noted that Sullivan our many community members, would provide the district with parents, and organizations to "good conversation" as it pre- help strengthen and improve our pares to search for a long-term schools." superintendent. When discussing the details Sullivan has worked in educa- of the contract for the position tion for 40 years, most recently at an earlier meeting, the board as the interim principal of Spring set the salary between $130,000 Creek Elementary and Lane Ed- and $135,000 with 10 to 15 va- ucation service Director Superin- cation days throughout the year. tendent."I have known so much The board voted unanimously about this district for so long," to approve Sullivan's contract. Interim Meet Larry Sullivan: SLSD Superintendent Sullivan set to start July 1 and finish June 30, 2019 By Zach Silva zsilva@cgsentinel.com Larry Sullivan was looking forward to retirement. After over 40 years working in educa- tion starting as a school psychologist with various stops including as a lobbyist in Washington DC and as assistant superin- tendent in Canton, Ohio, he retired from his position as Lane Education Service Director (Lane ESD) superintendent last June. But then the phone rang. On the other end was Forest Grove School District superintendent Yvonne Curtis who knew Sullivan from her time as 4J elementary director. She was look- ing for an interim director for student ser- vices and Sullivan said yes. He worked for four months and then went back to retirement. But after two months, the phone rang, again. This time it was Raquel Gwynn, who Sullivan had helped hire in 4J, announc- ing that she was leaving her job as princi- pal of Spring Creek Elementary to work as an education specialist in the offi ce of teaching, learning and assessment for the Oregon Department of Education. In February, Sullivan took the job as interim principal at Spring Creek. “I think friendship gets you in trou- ble. It usually does,” Sullivan said with a laugh. Now a year removed from his initial re- tirement, Sullivan has work lined up once again. This time as the interim superin- tendent for South Lane School District, a decision was publicly announced at Mon- day’s school board meeting. For this position, it was not South Lane seeking out Sullivan, but the other way around. “I have such huge respect for the won- derful things and the stellar work that’s being done in South Lane. Whether it be instructionally or working with the community, staff. All those things. And I know that there will be an interim period and that’s what I’m interested,” Sullivan told the Sentinel. “I said if you want an interim, I’m very interested in being here. If you just want someone to try out for the job, I don’t want to be here. That’s not what I want to do. I want to help you get ready and make those transitions. And sort of refo- cus yourself.” One of the areas that Sullivan said he is especially excited to be working with is with P20, the program that focuses on helping students from prenatal through 20 years of age. “They are doing remarkable things from pre-natal to college and career. I want to focus on that. Probably of any district – their P-20 is so vibrant,” he said. Sullivan notes that after being at Spring Creek Elementary, his mindset has shift- ed away from retirement. “I’ve had just a great experience here. And I think in part I wouldn’t even have thought of going to South Lane – maybe I should retire and go play golf or some- thing, go surfi ng or something – but you know it sort of revitalized me a little bit,” he said. This rejuvenation will be welcomed in a district that, after the departure of Kris- ta Parent as superintendent, “needs heal- ing” according to members of the school board. Sullivan believes he is up to the challenge. “Transition is one of the things we don’t pay a whole lot of attention to. Whether it be business or education or things like that is really transitions… You know, we tend to want to go immediately to the goals of what the change is going to be,” he said. “But there is a whole transition pro- cess. You know, sort of an ending of one thing and loss and a whole lot of things that takes a lot of support. I think that’s what I will focus on, really supporting.” His familiarity with the district, knowl- edge of staff and admiration for what is being done has put him in a position where he wants to be in this role and help the district move forward. “It’s really supporting, reengaging and focusing on what we need to do well. There’s lots of noise when you make a transition. Whatever transition – a new superintendent, a new principal, whatev- er it is. People are unsure, people don’t know,” he said. “I think focusing on that, focusing on working with the community. Because, schools are really the hub of the commu- nity in many ways. And there isn’t a per- son in the community that doesn’t think about the school district.” For Sullivan that starts with building relationships around the community and letting the staff do what they need to do. “My goal, when I go down there is re- ally to spend a lot of time doing the type of work that can allow the administration to get back to their work because all the administration has been doing double duty for a while,” said Sullivan. “So my job is really not getting in the way but helping.” WHY I TEACH... I never in a million years thought I would be a teacher but it happened to me! Several reasons, each played out in my life to change the course of who and what I am for my students. When I was 15, I moved to Oregon to live with my father. I was a very frustrated with life and what it had to offer me; I started experimenting with partying, skipping school and as a result my credits and grades plummeted. Soon after, my father lost his housing and we moved in with my grandmother, but with overcrowding I decided to leave. Then, I found out I was pregnant. There I was pregnant and homeless. I knew things had to change I my life. Being a homeless, pregnant teenager changed my life more than I could ever imagine. I went from skipping and failing, to straight As with extra night school and Saturday school almost never missing a day to be able to graduate on time. With a few Al Kennedy fi eld trips thrown in, I graduated on time from CGHS in 1997. What resonates for me most is the people that surrounded me in our community; the programs we once had were amazing and the programs that still exist in our community, helped shape my decision to be an educator. I actually wanted to be a lactation consultant. I was gung- ho on being one. I knew I had to be a nurse so I enrolled at Lane Community College with fi nancial aid and a few local scholarships from a community that believed in me. I needed to earn extra money and found a work study job at Bohemia Elementary reading with kids. I could walk to it during the day if I put my kid in the high school nursery. My baby daddy-- high school sweet heart- --husband (21 years) watched our son during the night after he got off work so I could do night classes. Working at Bohemia would change my life. I was assigned to do reading with a group of kids in Linda Randall’s classroom. I worked there for several months and enjoyed it immensely but still planned on being a lactation consultant. Then, the teacher Linda Randall tragically died mid year. I couldn't leave those students, they were lost. I stayed for the whole year. Those kids needed me, and I think I needed them. I still am in contact with a few of those students in that class. By the end of the year, I was destined to be a teacher. I decided to switch my major at Lane, then transferred to Pacifi c University Eugene Campus. Mentor teachers like Jan Settlemyer and Donna Perkey worked with me to help me understand how the education system worked and how to be a good teacher. When I graduated from Pacifi c University with a bachelors in education in 2002 I became a sub at the district the next year, subbing in elementary, middle, and high school classes. In the spring of 2003, Gay Kennedy called me. She needed to retire due to a family emergency and she wanted me to take her place. I laughed. I wasn't a home ec teacher. I wasn't into high schoolers but I would do it to because she did so much for me. She told me she believed in me and I was who she wanted to take her job and help teen parents. In doing so, I had to get a masters degree. So I enrolled in a masters degree program. I was able to start the job in 2004. My fi rst day of class, I was 24-years-old. Scared to death. I started the day at the alternative school. There were kids walking around on campus and I was only a few years older than them and I was to be their teacher. To this day I remember the fi rst student who walked in my classroom. She looked straight at me all pregnant and determined. “Oh good it’s you! I thought I was going to have some old lady telling me what to do." It was one of my students from Linda Randall's class. I knew I was in the right place. In the right job. Although I still had lots to learn, and still learn daily from my students and coworkers, I know helping students the same way I was, is my way of giving back for everyone who helped me. I love working at Kennedy High from A1 delicious FAMILY DINING We’ll make you feel right at home with great food and friendly service! School and Cottage Grove High School. I also work with with Parent Partnership and handle the MCKinney Vento- homeless program for the school district. 10 long years later, I received my masters degree from Central Washington University with a de- gree in family and consumer sci- ences and CTE administration. I love my job, I love my community, I love my students. I am an educator. -Brandi Baker-Rudicel Al Kennedy High School Health and Odysseyware Daily Speicals 20% off for Active Military & Vets. Tuesday Night is Senior Night 4-8 pm. OPEN DAILY Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 6am-10pm Sun-Th ur 6am-10pm Fri & Sat. 1590 Gateway Blvd. • Cottage Grove 541-942-7144 America’s Greatest YARD SALE SAVE UP TO 30% OFF Power Lawn & Garden LOW COST Local & Metro Weekday Trips Professional Caring Staff Save more with 30% off Kitchen Appliances 30% off Grills Your Regional Public Transportation Service Sale Runs May9-16, 2018 No elgibility requirements. 118 Gateway Blvd., Cottage Grove (541) 942-7377 541-942-0456 southlanewheels.org The Humane Society of Cottage Grove PO Box 61, Cottage Grove • 541-942-3130 • www.humanesocietycg.org Upcoming Events: Plant Sale at American Legion Hall – May 11-12, June 8-9 What HSCG has accomplished in 2017: Money spent directly on animal expenses: Vet bills (spay/neuter, emergency, medication), receiving fees at shelters, etc.: Around $30,000 Low Income Spay/Neuter Assistance Programs: 716 animals altered Foster (rescues, bottle babies & feral cats on their way to a new barn home after altering, eat).: 310 Animals turned over to Appropriate Shelters including Greenville Humane Society: 242 14,856 Miles on van YOUR DONATIONS HELP LOCAL ANIMALS! For your shopping pleasure, remember This ‘n’ That Corner, 33 N. 8th Street, CG. Proceeds benefi t the HSCG programs. Hours 10-4, Monday-Saturday.