News

Eau Claire School Board selects new superintendent

Posted: 2:50 PM Jul 12, 2012
Reporter: Courtney Everett

Eau Claire School Board selects new superintendent

(WEAU) - Selecting a new superintendent isn't easy, but for the Eau Claire school district the selection process is over.

"I think initially I'll just doing a lot of just listening and getting ready to focus on the transition," said Dr. Mary Ann Hardebeck, newly selected Superintendent.

"I think of her as consensus type person but a person who also has a vision for the school district," said Kathryn Duax, School board member.

Dr. Mary Ann Hardebeck says she's excited to move to Eau Claire after serving sixteen years as a Public School Administrator

She currently is the Assistant Superintendent in the Department of Personnel Services for the Loudon County Public Schools in Virginia.

"Of course anytime you make a change there's a little bit of butterflies but I think I got a lot of support there from the board, and just looking forward to work with them," said Hardeback.

School board member Kathryn Duax says they got great feedback from teachers and parents on Monday night to help with their decision.

"I would say she had a 99% favorable impression from different people that attended," said Duax.

Hardebeck says she looks forward to learning about Wisconsin and its politics by listening.

"I think we're all gravelling with the same issues across the country, so it will be about learning the Wisconsin flavor,” said Hardeback.

"I think she will be listening to what the teachers and the administrators and the principals feel needs to happen in this district," said Duax

It will take a few weeks to process her contract, which means her start date is undetermined. But she looks forward to meeting with the community.

Duax also says that the school board is happy that they found someone so rapidly and that she's going to be the first female superintendent for the district.

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NEWS RELEASE FROM EAU CLAIRE AREA SCHOOL BOARD:

The Eau Claire Area School Board is pleased and proud to announce that they have unanimously made a decision to hire a new Superintendent of Schools and have now entered into negotiations and hope to finalize a contract in the next two weeks.

The person selected to become the new Superintendent of the Eau Claire Area Schools is Dr. Mary Ann Hardebeck who now serves as an assistant superintendent in the Loudoun County Schools in the state of Virginia, a district of 66,000 students. In her present position she is the Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Services and has the responsibility to oversee 12,000 employees. She is a member of the Superintendents’ senior staff and was previously the Director of High School Education in which she had responsibility for ten high schools.

Dr. Hardebeck also served as the Principal of Chapel Hill High School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and began her career as a reading and English teacher. She received the Principal of the Year Award from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction while at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Hardebeck has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Marshall University in West Virginia, a Master’s Degree in reading from Syracuse University in New York, a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, and a Doctorate from Virginia Tech. Dr. Hardebeck has also served on the Advisory Board of Harvard University’s Principals’ Center.

Dr. Hardebeck is known as a caring listener who has high expectations for the work of educators, works collaboratively and has strong leadership skills. Her 16 years as a public school administrator has prepared her well to be Eau Claire’s Superintendent of Schools.

Dr. Hardebeck was in Eau Claire all day on Monday of this week for the second of two interview processes. She spent the day meeting with many constituency groups, met with the School Board and participated in a community forum attended by nearly 100 community members. Feedback to the School Board by members of the Eau Claire community was very positive.

Discussions regarding a contract for Dr. Hardebeck are expected to take approximately two weeks at which time the School Board will formally approve a contract. Dr. Hardebeck will begin her duties in Eau Claire late this summer. At present, Dr. Terry Sheridan, former ECASD Assistant Superintendent, is serving as Interim Superintendent.