Superintendent hits the ground running

Article Photos

MANISTIQUE - A self-described "tinkerer" John Chandler, second-year superintendent of Manistique Area Schools, has been supporting changes and improvements in the school since his first day on the job.

Chandler said he isn't one of those superintendents who just works with numbers all day; he is heavily involved in the school. He said he wants to improve student behavior, is willing to support new programs and wants to ensure students receive a good education in a safe environment.

"I guess I'm a tinkerer," he said. "One of the things that was mentioned to me after I was hired and was talking to the community, were concerns about the school climate and bullying. This is happening all around the country but we didn't want to be just as good as anyone else, we wanted to be better. We wanted to be a place where kids feel safe and like to come to school."

Chandler's efforts to improve the school were most evident this year. The implementation of a new bully-free program - which prevents, teaches and disciplines students in regards to bullying or destructive behavior in school and on buses - could not have been set in motion without Chandler's support.

Although teachers had already taken steps to alleviate the bullying prior to Chandler's arrival at the school, he was there to support them in the effort and provided the necessary tools.

"I can't take full credit," he said. "If you knew how much work some teachers have put into writing the curriculum for character education class, and how much work has gone into the bully-free schools side of things, you'd know how hard they worked. It was just a good match between myself and the staff."

Other changes this year included the creation of a climate committee to improve the school's environment and an Emerald Connections class which brings students together through discussions of real-world issues and issues facing the student body.

Chandler, who was raised in Mesick, Mich., received his bachelor's degree in education, with certifications in biology, psychology and math, from Hillsdale College, Mich. He then received his master's degree in school guidance and counseling from Central Michigan University. He has 14 years of experience in education - both in teaching and administration.

In his first few years in the education system, Chandler coached and taught mainly math courses, until his first administrative job as the principal of Dickinson Area Catholic School.

"I was the only administrator there, so I wore a ton of hats," he said. "It was a great learning experience."

Following that, he spent four years at Dansville High School, near Lansing, where he served as the school's principal.

His first superintendent job was at Litchfield Community Schools in south central Michigan. Chandler said this job prepared him for the economic challenges schools nationwide would face years later.

"I stepped into a district that was in severe financial shape," he said. "It was much worse than any challenges we're facing here in Manistique and in schools all over the country. It was a smaller school so I didn't have much staff and it was a very challenging situation."

Two years later, Chandler applied for the position as superintendent at Manistique Area Schools. He has been at the school for two years now, and said he has come to really connect with the community - something he feels is a very important factor in the success of a school.

"I just really believe a lot of the success anyone receives in any position at any organization depends on the fit," he said. "Manistique is a good fit for me and my family here. We're enjoying being here, even (with) the challenges we've been given. I have a great board and great staff, so it's just a really good match."

Chandler said Manistique has the potential to be a great school, and even with the financial stress, the school continues to offer many extracurricular classes that keep students interested in learning.

"We want kids to feel safe about coming to school here, we want them to like coming to school, and we want to create individualized learning...," he said. "I'm very proud about a lot of things that have already been accomplished. For instance, as far as I know, we are one of a few schools in the U.P. that offer K-12 spanish, art and music programs. We have a lot of great stuff going on here."

After his experience at Litchfield, Chandler said he feels confident he will be able to keep the school financially stable during rough economic times. Assisting him in his endeavors is a number of competent staff members, he said.

"I'm not saying it's not stressful, but it's like if you run 10 miles and then you turn around and have to run four miles," he explained. "I've been conditioned in my previous experience. Good decisions were made before I got here, I have a good staff and I've been through it once."

Chandler said his goal and the goal of the teachers at Manistique are to get students passionate about learning. Chandler often follows the thoughts of the state superintendent when it comes to the idea of "re-imagining education" to excite students and help them succeed.

"If you see kids come into elementary, their eyes are wide, they have smiles on their faces, and they want to learn," said Chandler. "Somewhere - and I don't believe it's natural development, I think it's something the system does to them - the schooling model sucks the life and love of learning out of them. By putting them back in charge I think we can rekindle that fire and love of learning, and we have to."

While being an administrator may seem like all business, Chandler compares the rewards of his job to that of a parent witnessing the success of a child.

"I really like it when you hire someone or work with them and they just do great things for the school, because maybe I've supported them in some way or encouraged them in some way," he said. "It's a result of seeing other people, either students or staff do great things. You get way more joy out of seeing your kids accomplish things rather than what you accomplish yourself."