Huckleberries: CdA superintendent is ready to listen

In Huckleberries Gone Wireless today, D.F. Oliveria interviews new Coeur d’Alene School District Superintendent Hazel Bauman. You can read the entire interview at Huckleberries Online ( www.spokesmanreview.com/blogs/hbo) this morning.

DFO: Aren’t you Canadian-born?

Hazel Bauman: I’m a naturalized U.S. citizen, but I was born in England. I lived in Canada from 13 to 21. I came to the states when I married an American at age 21. I came right to Coeur d’Alene (and have been here since).

DFO: You joined the school district in 1979? Can you list the superintendents that you’ve worked for?

HB: Barry Steim hired me as consulting teacher in special education in 1979. He left in 1983. Warren Bakes was the next superintendent before I took a leave of absence for five years to raise my two small children. When I came back in 1989, the infamous Merlin Ludwig was the superintendent. Then came Doug Cresswell, Keith Tolzin, Doug Cresswell again, David Rawls and Harry Amend.

DFO: Speaking of David Rawls, you’re officially now Mrs. David Rawls, correct?

HB: Yes. But I plan to keep the Bauman name for a little while.

DFO: Does he give you any advice on how to do your current duties?

HB: Only if I ask him.

DFO: Do you?

HB: Yes. I need all the help I can get.

DFO: It’s obvious that the district has a credibility problem. How do you overcome that in an era when there seems to be an anti-tax fervor building again?

HB: First by listening. And responding to what we hear about the genesis of the credibility gap. Then by putting into place remedies, policies, procedures, so the issues that caused the credibility gap won’t occur again. To connect to the tax climate, we need to be cognizant of the economic stresses that our patrons are facing and really look for solutions to our problems that don’t cost the taxpayer any more money.

DFO: What would be the top three ways to improve our children’s education, given current funding limitations?

HB: 1. Supporting our teachers to become better at their craft so that teaching and learning is stellar across the district. 2. Critically analyzing our programs. Keep the ones that are making a difference for children. Modify the ones that need modification. And terminate the ones that are not effective. Then, redeploy money from modified and terminated programs into ones that changed children’s lives. That takes courage because all the programs have supporters. We have to be ruthlessly analytical with the data. We’re facing that right now. We’re co-locating Bridge Academy and Project CDA. We’re putting them on the same campus. Over the next year to two or three years, we’ll save $250,000 per year doing that. 3. Engaging parents in their children’s education.

DFO: Have you ever read “Snow Falling on Cedars”?

HB: I have.

DFO: It is, of course, one of the books that have been challenged as far as required reading goes. Do you think it and the other controversial books are appropriate classroom reading material?

HB: The critical word is “required.” The threshold or level of controversy has to go down when you have a captive audience. A required novel where the whole class is reading the book has to have less controversy and be of a different standard than a self-selected book.

DFO: Let’s play the Huckleberries word-association game: 1. 2008 LCHS yearbook (HB: Disappointing). 2. Lakes Middle School (HB: Conundrum). 3. Wanda Quinn? (HB: Intelligent. Legacy). 4. 2008 Coeur d’Alene School District plant facility levy? (HB: Misguided).

DFO: Will Lakes Middle School be part of the next plant facility levy. Or has that boat sailed?

HB: Answer yet to be determined.

DFO: Do you handle criticism well?

HB: I handle it better if it’s constructive criticism.

DFO: What is one thing few people know about you?

HB: I’m a runner. I have completed two marathons (20 years ago). I run three or four times per week up to five miles.

DFO: If you had one do-over in your professional career, what would it be?

HB: I would have learned to be a better listener, sooner.