In addition to Sedona Oak Creek School District Superintendent Dennis Dearden, two local school district superintendents, Danny Brown of Clarkdale Jerome and Steve King of Cottonwood Oak Creek, are stepping down.
Yavapai County Superintendent Tim Carter also decided not to seek re-election in the next election.
Tim Carter
“My term ends on December 31, 2024, so I have 20 months left,” Carter said. “At that point…it will last 50 years in total.” [in education]. So maybe that’s enough. “
Carter said he plans to continue living in Prescott, but is looking forward to spending more time hunting and fishing than working 60 to 70 hours a week. He intends to remain involved in education, collecting 500 books on Abraham Lincoln and writing a new biography of the 16th president, covering Lincoln’s relationship with the nation’s territories.
One of the biggest changes Carter has noticed is a decline in public interest. When he started working, over 100 people applied for teaching positions. “You’re lucky if you get four or five applicants these days,” he says.
“I think it’s going to be a tougher job because the issues are much more polarized and politicized than they’ve ever been,” Carter said. “We are not just dealing with traditional educational issues, but now we are also dealing with external political issues that may or may not affect that particular region.”
Carter said the current political climate is contributing to people’s decision to step down as superintendent, citing the response to the COVID-19 pandemic as the biggest example. But an individual’s decision comes down to the usual reasons such as health, better salary opportunities elsewhere, he said.
Mr. Carter said the powers and duties of the Yavapai County Educational Services Authority will remain the same even after he retires.
Navigating the political storm will be the biggest challenge for the eventual successor.
“We work in different environments. [local school] The district is stable, fairly harmonious, and doing service to its communities, but now most of us are doing more than we’ve ever seen in our careers involved in such things. I think there’s a lot of friction,” Carter said.
Steve King
“Serving this district for the past eight years has been one of the honors of my life,” said Dr. King in a March announcement. “I am deeply saddened to announce that I will be retiring as superintendent of this district soon. I wanted to give you as much information as possible in preparation for the upcoming change of leadership in this district. “
“I’ve been at Cottonwood for eight years, six of those years as superintendent,” King said. “It’s a very difficult time. There comes a point in life when sometimes change is not a bad thing…change is just to keep serving. Children have many challenges.” [and] with their family. Many children and families struggle to even provide their basic needs. I want to contribute at least a little to that solution in my little corner of the world. “
King and Prescott Unified School District board member Carla Woods are both planning to run in the Republican nomination to replace Carter.
On April 25, the Arizona School Board Association gave a presentation to the Cottonwood Oak Creek School Board about what the selection process for King’s successor would look like. The board plans to begin the selection process in September.
“[I’m] I plan to retire on December 31st,” King said. “If they need my services and they need me too, I have made a public offer to remain on the board and provide whatever services they need after that date. I can decide.”
Danny Brown
“Every superintendent should have a reason to quit,” Brown said. “I can’t pinpoint a trend as to why we’re all moving away.”
After 35 years of teaching, Brown will step down from his position as superintendent of the Clarkdale Jerome School District when his contract expires on June 30.
“I spent 10 years as a social studies teacher in middle school and high school. My career began in Winslow, Arizona, was born and raised in Indiana, and came out in 1989,” Brown said. “After my wife and I had our first child, I took a job as a charter school director in Prescott and from there began my career in Yavapai County. I would like to thank the education community.”
Applications for Clarkdale Jerome’s superintendent position closed on April 27, after a community forum the night before discussed the leadership qualities residents thought were necessary for the position. The board of education began reviewing applicants on May 2.
