New Alexander superintendent ready for school
By Olivia Sundeen
Farmer Staff Writer
All good things must come to an end, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more good to come.
After 35 years of dedication to the Alexander Public School, Murry Kline recently retired. To fill his place is Mike Klabo, a former administrator at Burke Central.
“The communication I had with Kline gave me positive vibes about Alexander,” stated Klabo. “Kline said that his board, teaching staff, and students were great to work with, and his relationship with his board created great working conditions.”
Alexander Public School is a small, but well-respected and well-managed school.
“Burke Central is a small school as well,” stated Klabo. “I wanted to come into an environment that was supportive and bright and I feel that Alexander Public School has both of those qualities.”
Klabo started teaching in 1982. Soon after he went into the administration aspect of it.
“In 1987 I switched gears a little bit,” stated Klabo. “I love knowing that as a teacher we are preparing kids to be our future doctors, policemen, lawyers, etc. I have spent 29 years as an educator and my administration years are getting close to that number as well.”
With the recent move and responsibilities of a new school, Klabo has some concerns coming into the fall of 2011. But this isn’t his first rodeo.
“I have no fears,” stated Klabo. “I have been at this job a long time. My only concern is imputed oil revenues. We don’t want to lose much more revenue, but many schools have this same concern.”
Along with the concerns comes the excitement of starting a new school year, especially in a new school.
“Among the many things I am excited for is MathCounts and raising money for St. Jude’s Hospital,” stated Klabo. “But I would say I am most excited to see the smiles on kids’ faces as the new school year starts. I love to not only interact with my students and staff, but watch them interact with each other. The education field is such a rewarding one.”
Klabo is presenting a big change to this year’s approach on curriculum. He hopes that this change will reap benefits for the students and for Alexander Public School as a whole.
“Using the NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) is the approach we are going to give a try,” stated Klabo. “The idea is that the kids are tested in the fall. The test gives immediate feedback, and based on these results, we will tweak and adjust the curriculum to meet certain needs and areas of the students. In the spring, they will be tested again to see how they’ve grown, and hopefully, will have improved with the adjustments we made.”
The goal of the NWEA is to give teachers knowledgeable things to do, so they know what students should or shouldn’t be focusing on.
“I would like to see an increase in the scores from fall to spring,” stated Klabo. “My goal is to help students reach their full potential and meet their target areas.”
When all is said and done, Klabo is proud to be known as the Superintendent of Alexander Public School and a part of the Alexander community.
“My wife, Patty, and I are excited to be here,” stated Klabo. “We look forward to our lives in Alexander.”
As students and teachers enjoy the rest of their summer Klabo is preparing for a fresh start.
“Starting with the fall of 2011,” stated Klabo, “let’s make it a school year to remember.”