Superintendent Updates from Dr. Robert Hunt - July / August 2023 UAiNSIGHT
Over the past several months, as I have been working to transition to the role of the next superintendent of the Upper Arlington Schools, I have spoken with many people in this community about why it’s such a wonderful place. In those conversations, one thing almost always came up: the Fourth of July.
I will officially become the superintendent of schools on July 1, and my family and I will experience our first Upper Arlington Fourth a few days later.
It is no surprise to me that this day is so special to so many people here. This community has a long tradition of coming together, in many different ways.
I have always believed the best public schools are those that are a reflection of the values and expectations of the community. As an Ohio native and a longtime educator in this state, I have always admired this great school district and how the Upper Arlington community and the schools work together to provide an innovative program and educational experience for students.
For the past two years, I had the privilege of serving as the superintendent of the Barrington 220 Community Unit School District, northwest of Chicago. While my family and I really enjoyed our time there, we have always admired Upper Arlington Schools. When the call came that they were searching for a superintendent, it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. I am very excited to come back to Ohio and make this community our home - both as a parent and as a superintendent.
My wife, Shannon, is an incredible educator and is excited to continue her career here as a literacy specialist with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio. We are the proud parents of four children — “the bigs and the littles,” as we call them. Our littles — Emerson and Hawken — are in elementary school and are excited to become Golden Bears. Our bigs — Ashton and Braden — are on to their next step in life. Braden is continuing his academic pursuits in college, and Ashton recently graduated from the University of Dayton and will begin her teaching career in Worthington Schools this fall.
Over the past few months, I have been working closely with the Board of Education, Interim Superintendent Kathy Jenney, Ed.D., and our administrative team to prepare for this transition. I’d like to thank Dr. Jenney for her leadership and congratulate her as she prepares to retire in July after 10 years with our district.
Looking ahead, I will remain committed to continuing the conversation and will be spending a lot of time listening to our stakeholders about what’s going well and how we can improve. This will begin to inform what the process will be for us to define the next iteration of excellence for the Upper Arlington Schools. I had an opportunity to begin those conversations in May with the latest round of Listen Learn Lead community engagement sessions. We heard from hundreds and hundreds of students, staff members, parents and grandparents, and community members, and that feedback will help inform my priorities for my first year as superintendent. You can learn more about the Listen Learn Lead process on our website, www.uaschools.org/ListenLearnLead.aspx.
I look forward to meeting many more of you as we continue working collaboratively to help our schools be the best they can be.
Robert Hunt, Ph.D., is the superintendent of Upper Arlington Schools. You can email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @Hunt_EdLeader.