Superintendent still a teacher at heart
If Jerry House finds himself having a
bad day he heads to the place where his career began — the
classroom.
“On my most stressful days, I need to
go see the kids,” he said.
As Whitefish School District’s
Superintendent for the last 11 years, House would sneak away to one
of the schools in the district to remind himself of why he chose a
career in education. He might sit in tiny kindergarten chairs or
listen in during a special project presentation at the middle
school.
It’s not so different from many folks
who leave the classroom to take up administrative positions, he
said during an interview with the Pilot last week.
“We’re always teachers first,” he said.
“My heart and soul is with the kids.”
House retires this week from his tenure
in Whitefish and a 40-year career in education. Before coming to
Whitefish in 2000, House retired from Washington state after
serving as a teacher, a coach and a superintendent.
His decision to enter education came
during college. House was studying civil engineering when he
realized he needed to change his major.
“There were teachers that had impacts
on my life. There was expectations from those individuals,” he
said. “I wanted to teach. I wanted to coach.”
Few of his civil engineering credits
transferred to his new major, but that didn’t matter much because
it was what he wanted to do. Even after being drafted into the U.S.
Army for three years and returning to finish school, he still
wanted a career in education.
“That had an impact,” he said of his
time serving. “After that I was much more disciplined. I realized
education was the vehicle to get me where I wanted to go.”
During his years as a teacher, House
taught grades five through 12. The classes and teams coached are
extensive including history, basketball, wrestling, science,
baseball, English — even cheerleading. House retired in Washington
and began looking for opportunities in other states.
His decision came down to two
districts, including Whitefish. House admits he wasn’t sure about
moving to Montana, a place he thought of as way out West (even
though he lived in the Seattle-area at the time) and with a cowboy
mentality. Once he and his wife Debbie flew here, they were
sold.
“We absolutely fell in love with this
place when we landed,” he said.
As a former triathlon competitor and
long-distance runner, House knew he wanted to be here when he saw
the streets filled with runners, bikers and those enjoying the
outdoors. He later learned that was the first sunny day after the
winter.
“It was cabin fever,” he said. “It had
nothing to do with being over active.”
Still, House stayed and found a
community he loved — a community that supports education.
“It’s been 11 years of sheer joy,” he
said.
He easily lists the number of ways the
community has stood behind the school district.
There’s the volunteer that has been
reading to students every day for a decade or the parents that work
in the classroom at Muldown and the Parent Teacher Association.
Also important is the financial
support, ranging from passed levies and donations to replace aging
gymnasium floors at the middle school to the donation of musical
instruments.
House points to the donation of 12
violins that began the district’s orchestra program as an
example.
“That’s how it got started,” he said.
“Now we’re known across the state. We get superior ratings and
festivals. Students go on to perform in the Bozeman Symphony or
with the Glacier Symphony and Chorale. The kids have excelled —
that’s an extension of what the community has provided.”
In the district, House has been honored
to work with excellent staff, teachers and administrators.
“They really care about the kids,” he
said. “They work to nurture them from kindergarten to
graduates.”
Whether it be the person who cleans the
school, the person who cooks lunch or the teacher in the classroom,
House sees everyone working as a family under the same
philosophy.
“If it’s best for the kids we’ll do
it,” he said.
The Montana Association of School
Superintendents named House Superintendent of the Year in 2007.
However, ask him what he’s most proud of during his time at
Whitefish and he won’t mention personal awards. Instead he’ll speak
about district programs and milestones, like the remodel of the
middle school.
First on his list is a set of district
programs and a town hall meeting on suicide held this winter.
The district’s Quick Response Team and
the Student Assistance Program have had a major impact on the
district, he said. The QRT responds in times of crisis, including
when the district deals with suicide. SAP works to help identify
students with risky behavior and provide support groups for
students.
Dave Means, the district’s special
service director has worked with House for the last seven years.
Means said House has a broad knowledge when it comes to education,
but it’s programs like QRT and SAP that show House has done more
for students.
“He always stresses high expectations
for reading, writing and math, but he balances that with a really
caring nature for students,” Means said.
House also lists Speak Up Whitefish as
a positive for the district. The program brought educators and
community members together to study the district and then suggest
changes for improvement.
“We’re still looking at that today,
some six to seven years later,” House said. “We’ve made some of the
changes gradually.”
House has tried to stay connected to
the classroom. He said those visits also served as a way to become
even better informed about what was happening at the most basic
level.
“If you really want to know what’s
going on in the classroom, go see,” he said. “If you really want to
know if technology is working, go and ask.”
In retirement, House plans to spend
time with his family, but he also plans to do some consulting work.
He might not be quite ready to give up the rewards of working in
education.
“It’s been a 40-year ride of joy,” he
said.