Former Neosho teacher/coach named to Springfield Public Schools executive post

(From Springfield Public Schools)

Springfield Public Schools announced new leadership appointments and department realignments on Wednesday in preparation for the 2022-2023 school year. The restructuring, effective July 1, is designed to support academic achievement and aligns with entry plan priorities outlined by the district’s superintendent, Dr. Grenita Lathan.

“Growth has been a key theme at SPS since I joined the district in July. To achieve growth, we must objectively assess our strengths and identify areas for potential improvement,” said Dr. Grenita Lathan, superintendent of Springfield Public Schools. 

“A growth philosophy is the basis for my entry plan and underscores today’s announcement. While we celebrate the accomplishments SPS has achieved, we remain focused on stretching beyond our current capabilities to exceed the expectations of those we serve. The realignment of select departments and the outstanding professionals chosen to lead this work are key to our success.”

Oversight of K-12 schools will now be shared more equitably in order to improve academic outcomes by strengthening support for principals and teachers. Three leaders will divide oversight of the district’s 30 elementary campuses.

Dr. Beth Engelhart, Executive Director - Elementary: Dr. Engelhart has 22 years of experience in public education and has served as principal of Sweeny Elementary in the Republic School District for nine years. A former SPS teacher and administrator, Dr. Engelhart taught first, third, fourth and fifth grades before transitioning to leadership as an assistant principal and principal.

Dr. Jason Steingraber, Executive Director - Elementary: Dr. Steingraber has 24 years of experience with SPS and currently serves as principal of Pershing K-8. Prior to Pershing, he spent a decade as principal of Wilder Elementary. Other experience includes leading Bowerman Elementary as principal, serving as a special education process coordinator and a speech-language pathologist.

Mrs. Cindy Webster, Executive Director - Elementary: Mrs. Webster is the current principal of Weaver Elementary, having worked in that capacity for seven years. She served as an assistant to the principal at Gray, Twain and McGregor for two years. Prior to her leadership experience, Mrs. Webster taught first, second and fifth grades at School of the Osage and Nixa.

 
Dr. Michael Methvin, Executive Director - Middle Schools & K-8: Dr. Methvin currently serves as the director of elementary learning for SPS and brings more than a decade of experience as a building-level administrator. His past experience includes service as elementary principal for Pleasant Hope R-VI Schools, assistant middle school principal for Bolivar R-1 Schools and a teacher and athletic director for Halfway R-III Schools.

Dr. Sheila Wynn, Executive Director - High School: Dr. Wynn has served as the director of secondary learning for SPS for seven years. After beginning her career in education as a teacher and coach in Neosho, Dr. Wynn joined SPS in 1987 as an elementary teacher. She later served as a teacher and coach at Hillcrest High School before becoming an assistant principal at Parkview High School.

Dr. Ben Hackenwerth has been named chief strategy and innovation officer and will serve on the superintendent’s cabinet to lead strategic planning for the district. Dr. Hackenwerth will oversee college access, career and technical education, summer learning and student experiences, choice programs, virtual learning and before- and after-school programming. Dr. Hackenwerth began his education career in Ozark as an elementary teacher and has served in various executive leadership roles since joining SPS in 2008.

As the district works to strategically address achievement gaps and moves forward with implementation of a new K-12 universal screener to measure academic achievement for all students, Dr. Crystal Magers will serve as the new executive director of academics. Dr. Magers is currently serving her fourth year as principal of Sherwood Elementary. Her career spans 16 years of classroom and leadership experience. She taught kindergarten and first grade at York and Harrison before serving as an assistant to the principal at Wilson’s Creek and Gray. Dr. Magers first served as principal of Sequiota Elementary for five years. In her new role, Dr. Magers will supervise curriculum, federal programs, early childhood education, gifted education and professional development. This alignment will streamline processes, promote collaboration and ensure consistency.

SPS continues its expansion of student services. Access to funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) has been crucial to ensuring additional support is available - especially in response to challenges posed by the pandemic. Support of focused interventions continues as follows:


Dr. Justin Herrell will serve as the director of before- and after-school programming, including SHINE. Dr. Herrell is the current principal of Westport Middle School and is in his 30th year as an educator. He joined SPS in 1996 as a teacher at Central High School, later serving in leadership roles at Parkview, Hillcrest and the district’s administrative office.
Dr. Jill Palmer, the current principal of Westport Elementary, will serve as the principal of a consolidated Westport K-8. Dr. Palmer joined SPS in 2001 as a teacher at Kickapoo, later serving as assistant principal and coordinator of International Baccalaureate at Pipkin. Prior to her leadership at Westport, Dr. Palmer served SPS in the Assessment, Accountability and Analytics Department.
Dr. Ron Woodard will serve as the district’s director of wraparound services, leading the work to address financial hardship, mental health, hunger and hygiene. Dr. Woodard is the current executive director of secondary learning. Prior to joining SPS, he served in leadership with Maury County Public Schools and Metro Nashville Public Schools in Tennessee. Dr. Woodard began his career as a teacher, coach and program director for teen mentoring.

Today’s realignment of departments and responsibilities follows the strategic expansion of staffing and support services at individual schools across SPS. An investment of ESSER funds is helping ensure that student needs are addressed through the following resources:


1 Full-Time Certified Support Staff for All Elementary Campuses (2 Years)
2 Full-Time Certified Support Staff for All Middle/High School Campuses (2 Years)
K-8 Literacy Coaches, Numeracy Coaches, and Math Interventionists
15 Full-Time School-Based Social Workers (1 Per High School & 2 Additional Per Feeder Pattern) in Collaboration with Community Partnership of the Ozarks
Intensive Academic & Behavioral Program at Elementary Site with Burrell Behavioral Health
College & Career Planning Support for Students
K-12 Universal Screener for Ongoing Monitoring of Academic Achievement
1,850 Hotspots
Additional Student Tutoring & Other Academic Interventions
SHINE Before- and After-School Programming Expansion in Partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, Springfield Dream Center, SPARC and Ozarks Regional YMCA
SPS University

To learn more about today’s announcement, visit www.sps.org/latest. To review Dr. Lathan’s entry plan, visit www.sps.org/vision.