Springfield School Board officially hires Jungmann as superintendent

(From Springfield Public Schools)

Dr. John E. Jungmann will be Springfield Public Schools' next superintendent. In a unanimous vote March 4, the Board of Education elected to hire him and is now in the process of negotiating the terms of his employment, including salary.

"Following Dr. Jungmann's community visit Monday, we listened to the feedback we received and agreed that he is the right candidate at the right time to move Springfield Public Schools to the next level of excellence," said Kris Callen, school board president.

Dr. Jungmann is currently superintendent of Liberty Public Schools but will assume the role at SPS effective July 1. He will replace Dr. Norm Ridder, who has served as superintendent for nine years.

A native of southwest Missouri, Dr. Jungmann told community members he is excited to return to this area with his wife, Kerry, and their three daughters, Halle, 12; Macie, 9; and Jolie, 2.

He said he was inspired to pursue a career in education by three educators who influenced him as a student. "They inspired me, they encouraged me, they blessed my life and said you can have an impact on kids and you can do something different," he said. "That's why I do the type of work that I do."

Callen said the board hopes to have an employment contract finalized by the end of the week. Dr. Jungmann's total compensation package is expected to be valued at about $250,000, an amount commensurate with the level of responsibility and accountability in a school district the size of SPS, Callen explained.

"As the largest fully accredited school district in the state and the fifth largest employer in Springfield, this job brings with it a unique set of responsibilities and challenges," Callen said. "We are confident that Dr. Jungmann will not only meet those expectations but exceed them."

On Monday, Dr. Jungmann was in Springfield to meet with various community and employee groups, including two meetings open to the general public. Individuals who were not able to meet Dr. Jungmann may view a video of one of his question-and-answer sessions posted here.

In November, the Board of Education retained the services of McPherson and Jacobson to assist in the superintendent search. McPherson and Jacobson met with the board and also conducted numerous stakeholder meetings and a community survey to determine the qualities and characteristics most desired in the new superintendent.


The individuals who were interviewed for the position, in consideration of the criteria, were selected from a pool of 13 applicants. On Feb. 5, the board met to review applications and identified quarterfinalists to participate in online interviews Feb. 11-12. The board then narrowed the pool to semifinalists and interviewed them Feb. 16-17. The top finalist, Dr. Jungmann, was invited to visit Springfield on March 3 to meet the community prior to the board making its final decision.

(Note: Jungmann is the former superintendent at Monett and is a graduate of Lamar High School.)

John Jungmann top choice for Springfield superintendent job

Former Monett superintendent John Jungmann, currently superintendent at Liberty is the top choice to become the next superintendent of the Springfield Public School District.

Jungmann is a graduate of Lamar High School and spent some of his time during high school and college working as a sports reporter, including a year working for me at the now-defunct Lamar Press.

Springfield Public Schools issued the following news release:

Springfield Public Schools Board of Education on March 3 will introduce to the community the top finalist for the superintendent's position. Dr. John E. Jungmann is currently superintendent at Liberty Public Schools in Liberty.

The school board has planned several community meetings for that day to allow SPS employees, business and civic leaders and community members the opportunity to meet Dr. Jungmann. A schedule of these events is currently being developed and will be announced next week.

As a native of southwest Missouri, Dr. Jungmann is excited to return to this area with his wife, Kerry, and their three daughters, Halle, 12; Macie, 9; and Jolie, 2.

Prior to serving in Liberty, a district of 11,500 students, Dr. Jungmann was superintendent of Monett R-1 School District four years.

"We are eager for the Springfield community to meet Dr. Jungmann and see for themselves his engaging personality and strong visionary leadership," said school board president Kris Callen. "Following his visit, we anticipate finalizing an employment offer and contract with an anticipated start date of July 1."

"We are excited about the skill set Dr. Jungmann brings to our district and we look forward to working with him as SPS moves forward in our commitment to provide personalized learning for all students," said Callen. "His statewide reputation and influence as a respected educational leader will support us in our pursuit of that goal."

Strengths and accomplishments of Dr. Jungmann noted by the board include:
*       Models lifelong learning and professionalism, promotes risk-taking and cultivates innovation.
*       Is a student-focused, visionary leader.
*       Implemented one-to-one technology initiatives in both Liberty and Monett.
*       Created and implemented a facility master plan which reduced the square-footage required per learner, creating innovative and cost-effective 21st century learning environments.
*       Has experience in effectively serving diverse student populations.
*       Possesses the identified leadership trait of "Maximizer," which enables him to take something good and make it great.

In November, the Board of Education retained the services of McPherson and Jacobson to assist in the superintendent search. McPherson and Jacobson met with the board and also conducted numerous stakeholder meetings and a community survey to determine the qualities and characteristics most desired in the new superintendent.
The individuals who were interviewed for the position, in consideration of the criteria, were selected from 13 completed applications. On Feb. 5, the board met to review applications and identified quarterfinalists to participate in online interviews Feb. 11-12. The board then narrowed the pool to semifinalists and interviewed them Feb. 16-17.

Liberty Republican explains why he thinks term limits should be changed

In his latest report to constituents, Rep. Myron Neth, R-Liberty, explains his bill which would change Missouri's current term limits, and judging from his tone, he is not happy with people who are questioning his motives.

As you may or may not know, I recently filed legislation to give the voters a choice to modify term limits in Missouri. For those of you that I represent, you probably received a flyer in the mail last week criticizing my term limits proposal. While somewhat misleading, this flyer sparked responses from many constituents, most of which have been unfavorable to this legislation.  

 I have attempted to respond to those that contacted me regarding this issue by sending an editorial outlining my arguments for the change along with a list of facts about term limits, both prior and after they were implemented. Although I attempt to present legitimate points and evidence in support of my proposal, I am again surprised by the close-mindedness of individuals unwilling to listen and understand the reasoning behind this legislation. Most of those opposed to me insist that their opinions are the only opinions, and for the most part, that I am an idiotic politician only wishing to further a political career.

 Although I cannot prove it to you now, I promise you that I have no desire to stay in politics long term. Instead, I have the goal to better government and the possibility that elected representatives in Missouri are able to excel at their positions while serving in the legislature. To do this, we need legislators who concentrate on the interests of their constituents, rather than pondering their next step politically or career-wise. We also need to lessen the power of lobbyists and special interests in legislature. Ironically, term limits have steadily increased the power of lobbyists due to the fact that they have been around longer than most legislators and are more knowledgeable about legislative issues. This creates a situation where legislators seek out lobbyists for information, thus making lobbyists' influence even more powerful. At the same time, we need to ensure that lawmakers do not become entrenched and out of touch by allowing voters to elect those whom they feel best represents them but also keep term limits intact.

 To my critics, I understand where you are coming from and you make some good points. However, until you are in my shoes or something similar, it is ignorant for you to quickly assume that I have ulterior motives for modifying term limits rather than simply seeking to improve our legislature. And for those of you that were very abrasive and believe you can do a better job than me, there is an upcoming election. I welcome you to throw your hat in the ring and go for it.

 Forgive some of my bluntness and strong tone at times. However, the longer I am in my position, and I can promise even when I am not, I will always work to relate to our elected officials and the unique challenges that face them.  And although I may not always agree with someone in office, I will always look to respect where they are coming from. I would suggest that there are many sides to an argument and, in most cases, validity on both sides even though there may be disagreement between the parties involved.