Jim Notter runs the nation’s sixth-largest school district and oversees tens of thousands of employees.
So how did he handle a room of fifth-graders?
“I give him an A+,” said Mariah Parrish, 12.
Friday was Notter’s first day back in front of a classroom in almost 18 years. Sporting a Mickey Mouse tie for the occasion, he taught fifth-grade reading as a substitute at Sunland Park Elementary, part of a cost-saving program that uses more than 100 district officials and administrators who are still certified to teach instead of subs.
The idea to use administrators as substitute teachers came from -- who else? -- a teacher. She submitted the suggestion to a contest designed to solicit money-saving ideas from employees. Officials estimate it could save about $200,000, with employees expected to sub twice a month or so.
So, how did it go?
“I loved it, I loved every minute of it. I’d come back and do it Monday, quite frankly,” said Notter, whose usual title is superintendent.
But don’t expect the kids to know that — or to tell you what exactly the word means.
“He’s from the district and he owns everything,” said Tatiana Boyd, 11.
“He bought us all this technology,” said Davonte Austin, 12.
“He’s helping us get more laptops. He’s encouraging us to do better and achieve things in life,” said Mathieu Fils-aime, 12.
“For him to come way to here, that’s a long way,” said Naykhijah Green, 10. “He picked our school. . . . He picked us.”
Notter, who used to teach special education, asked specifically to be assigned to Sunland Park.
“I wanted to get into the classroom and be a teacher in one of our most challenged schools,” he said. “It’s about taking our most challenged schools and making them our best.”
About 93 percent of the students at the Fort Lauderdale school qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The vast majority — 97 percent — are black. The school has received an F grade from the state for the past three years.
Principal Shawn Allen said the school has been working hard to help students achieve; several community groups and other schools have offered help with donations and services for students and their families.
Suggestions
On Friday, students weren’t shy about letting Notter know when he was veering away from their usual routine or when he wasn’t taking full advantages of the classroom’s offerings.
“You can put it on the big screen,” Naykhijah said when Notter was preparing to read aloud from a book called The Magic Gourd.
“You gotta answer the phone,” Tatiana told him when the classroom’s phone rang.
Classroom teacher Teanka Pinder left detailed instructions for Notter’s day as a sub and popped in Friday morning to go over them.
Beyond that, it was all up to him.
“It’s a realistic experience, especially when you don’t do it every day,” said Allen, the principal. “It really paints a picture of the obstacles and the things teachers experience every day.”
The superintendent couldn’t agree more.
‘Tough’
“It’s tough to ease back in,” Notter said. “You continue to have respect for these teachers and what they go through every single day.”
Even if the cash-strapped district suddenly found itself with a windfall, Notter said he would keep the substitute program around.
“This isn’t about money,” he said. “It’s really about getting grounded.”
In Miami-Dade County, administrators who don’t typically work in schools have also been spending time in classrooms as part of a program called Everybody Teaches. The idea is for employees to participate in six different assignments during the school year.
Based on schools’ needs and employees’ backgrounds or educational certification, they can teach or co-teach a lesson plan, teach in a Saturday session, visit as a guest speaker or tutor kids.
After the final bell rang at Sunland Park on Friday, Notter’s workday still had hours left. He had students’ papers to correct before heading to district headquarters to put his superintendent cap back on.
More visits
But he plans on returning to the classroom at least once a month. And he has to make up for missing a couple since the initiative started.
“Otherwise,” he said, “I’ll get detention.”
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