One on one with Jay McCracken

GRANVILLE — Putnam County School District will be losing its superintendent on June 30 as current Superintendent Jay McCracken will be retiring and high school principal/athletic director Carl Carlson has been selected to replace him. Recently, the Putnam County Record sat down and had a conversation with McCracken about his time at Putnam County.

PCR: At the February board of education meeting, the new superintendent was chosen. Do you have any big plans for July 1, your first day of retirement?

McCracken: Well, I have asked my wife to start looking into vacation plans for the month of July. I plan on taking one month off before I perhaps start another position somewhere else. Now, I am not talking about a full-time superintendent position, as I will be retired from that, but I am hoping to find another job as I don't sit at home; and I still have too much energy for a person in this stage in life.

PCR: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment during your eight years in the district?

McCracken: I think probably the single, most compelling question that continues to arise with all of our staff and board of education that has emanated from my time here is we have really tried throughout my tenure to stay grounded on what's best for kids, and I think that we have many positive results that have come from that. We must ask ourself with everything we do: Is it good for kids? While it's a very simplistic question, it will keep us grounded in our work that we do here.

Some of the other accomplishments that I am very proud of would be that we have raised teacher leadership to a different level. The strength that we have in our Putnam County Schools has always been there. We’ve always had a strong district that has been a flagship district in the area. But, I believe that some of the process and foundations are stronger than they have been in many years. For example, our Rising Star program, which is the continuous school improvement process. We no longer write a school improvement plan and put it on a shelf. We meet every month and discuss in-depth school improvement measures that really have an impact on our kids.

Eight years ago when I came to the district, many of the district’s programs were struggling. For example, the Educational Process Improvement Council, or EPIC was not functioning. When I got here, if you could compare it to a human body, it was on life support. Our technology has grown by leaps and bounds. When I got here, we had one SmartBoard, and it was in storage, not being used. We now have SmartBoards in many classrooms throughout the district. We have 1:1 technology in existence in 5th-12th grades.

As you can see, I can reel off kind of an unending list of things that we’ve done together, and I don’t take credit for all these things. I believe it’s the collective work of all the people who are working together to make these things happen.

PCR: Would you say that all of the things combined is what makes Putnam County Schools a “step above the rest” in the area?

McCracken: I like to look at it that way, yes. Every district will have reasons for their own pride, and I don't diminish that as there are some great programs going on in other schools; but we like to think that we are one of the flagship districts in the area. We have a phenomenal reputation right now from our academics to our extracurriculars, and I think that they are well-respected in the Illinois Valley area. I'm just so proud of the fact that it's just this collective group of people that believe in doing what's best for kids.

PCR: Is there anything you would change about your time as superintendent?

McCracken: If there is one thing that I would've liked to do more of during my time here, I would say it would've been to get in the classroom more and participate with kids more. I have some great relationships with some of the young kids in the district, but I wish that I had more time for that. I still have a goal between now and the end of the school year to get in the classrooms more though.

PCR: Any other goals besides trying to get in the classroom more?

McCracken: I have a deep desire to embed more of our local history into our history curriculum. Recently some of our administrators and history teachers, along with myself, toured the county and visited the historical sites to just give a sample of what we have right here in the county. I am working on another large project that I hope to announce before I retire. Unfortunately, I cannot divulge too much information other than it will be something very good for the entire county. Of course, I would like to have negotiations finished before I retire, so I don't leave that for Mr. Carlson. We have a great union, but it is always a challenge when you open a collective bargaining agreement. And, of course, we need to have a solid transitional plan for Mr. Carlson to make it as smooth as possible.

PCR: What originally drew you to the district eight years ago?

McCracken: After I had gotten my superintendent's endorsement, I began to look around, and Putnam County was looking for a superintendent. I had known of Putnam County for years because I had been a teacher in the Henry School District, and I had always respected Putnam County because of their strong reputation in the area, so I figured that I would look into it and, sure enough, I was hired by the board, and it has been a great eight years.

PCR: Do you look forward to being a mentor to Mr. Carlson as he takes on his first superintendent position?

McCracken: I look forward to working with him between now and June 30 to help his transition. I know that he will want to continue the legacy of focusing on our kids, and I know that he understands the Putnam County community. He has an outstanding staff and board of education which I believe will make the transition even smoother. It's exciting to have the opportunity to work with him since he is an internal candidate. We have a unique opportunity to work closely and make this a very easy transition.