Schulte steps in
THE SCHULTE FILE
Age: 54
Family: Married to Steve, a former social worker at Janesville Craig High School, now assistant principal at Beloit Turner middle/high school. They have two grown sons.
Education: Attended high school in Cleveland before attending Interlochen Arts Academy. Bachelor’s degree in German, with minor in music, from Drake University. Graduate degree from Drake in special education. Doctorate in educational administration and policy analysis in 2007, from UW-Madison.
Career: Teacher of emotionally disturbed students for 11 years in Des Moines, Iowa. Came to Janesville in 1997 as assistant principal at Janesville’s Marshall Middle School. Principal of Beloit Turner Middle School from 1999 to 2004, when she was named director of student services for the Janesville School District.
Photo
Interim schools superintendent Karen Schulte addresses teachers and staff during a visit to Adams Elementary School.
JANESVILLE — Karen Schulte is rarely is seen in public without her Bluetooth cell phone earpiece.
“I really believe in access. My staff always has access to me,” said Schulte, who took the reins as the Janesville School District’s interim superintendent Feb. 10.
Schulte will text-message her secretary, even during meetings, she said.
“I just feel like we can keep things moving. Otherwise, people are going to wait (for a reply),” she said.
It’s not just school staff who hear from Schulte.
Janesville police Sgt. Brian Donohoue has worked with her on lockdown drills, drug-dog searches and gang issues. He said it’s not uncommon to hear from her at 5:30 a.m., asking about rumors or incidents involving students.
“She is very receptive and wants to get in front of any issue. I really enjoy working with her,” Donohoue said.
Improving the school district’s use of computer technology is one of Schulte’s goals. Improving communications with staff and the public is another.
Schulte is recording video broadcasts, or “vodcasts,” for staff that are posted on the district’s Web site. She said she wants the district’s operations to be more “transparent” to the public.
In an extensive interview with The Janesville Gazette, Schulte called the district’s recent computer-system failures “inexcusable.” She expressed frustration that staff members have been urged to get into the computer age, and then the system let them down.
“We cannot go through what we went through this school year and be able to keep people’s morale up,” she said.
Like many baby boomers, Schulte was drawn into the age of instant communications by her children.
She has two sons, both UW-Whitewater students.
“They don’t answer their phones anymore, but we text all the time,” she said with a laugh. “So I’ve become very efficient with texting, because I want to talk to them.”
Schulte started wearing her Bluetooth constantly after she was named to head up the district’s security efforts in 2007. She wanted to know about any emergency immediately.
‘Fresh look’
Schulte has been one of four central-office directors—second in command to the superintendent—for five years. She is director of the district’s student services department, overseeing a variety of services for students with special needs.
She remains in charge of student services as she grapples with the challenges of the superintendent’s office. Among them are next year’s projected budget shortfall, the challenge of increasing ethnic and racial diversity and a computer system that wreaked havoc among students and staff for many months.
The budget is the first thing she mentions when asked about her priorities. She has ordered a “fresh look” at district spending and is asking staff for their money-saving ideas.
The soft-spoken Schulte is not shy about energetically pushing her agenda. In her first weeks at the helm, she:
-- Started visits to each school site to talk to staff about the budget.
-- Started a series of videos on the district’s Web site to address staff.
-- Pushed for more work on the Studer Group process, something started under former Superintendent Tom Evert.
The Studer process holds promise for improved performance, Schulte said, and it’s already showing success with lower truancy rates, but she believes more could have been—and should be—done.
-- Ordered a review of spending initiatives. She is questioning, for example, a proposal to hire six custodians to handle the increased square footage in the newly expanded high schools.
“We’re looking at everything we spend money on and saying, ‘Do we need that?’ Every position, 'Is it necessary?' And that makes people unsettled. I know that. But I feel I need to do that.”
Schulte said the district should look harder for alternative funding, such as grants and foundations.
She said the district is sure to lose some positions because of lower enrollment, but she’s hoping teachers who are displaced will be able to fill vacated positions, avoiding layoffs.
Minority students
One passion Schulte shares with her predecessor is working to make minority students feel welcome. The district is seeing more poverty and more faces of color and needs to “push the envelope” in dealing with those changes, she said.
Schulte is proud of the district’s participation in a state-sponsored consortium that involves a group of district staff, including Schulte, in “difficult conversations” about race.
“We’ve had some really good team conversations about race. I feel like we’re really starting to ask deeper questions about: Are those kids comfortable in our schools? Do they feel like they have a place? Are they comfortable about joining organizations? Why don’t we have very many minority kids involved in TAG (talented and gifted programs)? All those things,” she said.
Career twists led Schulte to top school post
Karen Schulte spent much of her career educating children with extreme emotional problems.
Her doctoral thesis in 2007 was about the connection between bullying and student violence.
That’s a far cry from her career goal as a teenager, when she planned a life steeped in music.
Schulte’s career took another sharp turn Feb. 10 when the Janesville School Board announced it was ending its relationship with Tom Evert, the superintendent for the past 13 years. The board simultaneously announced that Schulte would fill in until a permanent superintendent takes over July 1.
Fateful steps
Schulte remembers letting her parents believe she was auditioning for a summer camp at Interlochen Arts Academy. Her mother figured it out: She was applying to attend Interlochen for her senior year.
Her father would never let her go unless she got a scholarship, her mother told her.
She got the scholarship.
That was one of the fateful steps in the life of the girl from working-class Cleveland.
She proudly notes she is from Cleveland proper, not a suburb. Her father, the son of Ukrainian immigrants, ran a bar, Zajachuk’s, for many years. He later became a letter sorter for the U.S. Postal Service. Schulte preserves her father’s memory in her own name. Her middle initial is “Z” for Zajachuk.
Her mother, the daughter of Italian immigrants, stayed at home but always had a part-time job, often working at home, Schulte said.
“She was my champion,” Schulte said. “She always said I could do anything I wanted, and she would say that to me. And I believed it.”
Her mother became a “wildly successful businesswoman” who ran a health-care placement agency on the East Coast, Schulte said. Her father has passed on. Her mother was able to give Schulte a Cadillac as a gift for the Schulte’s 25th wedding anniversary.
‘An honor’
Schulte doesn’t have time to play the clarinet and piano anymore, she said, but she seems content to be the leader—at least temporarily—of a public school district of about 10,400 students in south-central Wisconsin.
Schulte’s eyes light up when talking about her early days as a teacher of students with emotional difficulties.
“I love helping kids change their behavior to become more successful,” she said.
She also recalls fondly the daily contact with students when she was an administrator at Janesville Marshall and Beloit Turner middle schools.
Schulte speaks softly and always seems calm, unless she’s laughing at a joke. Good qualities for someone dealing with emotional outbursts or teenage drama. And probably handy, too, in her new role.
Schulte said she hadn’t planned on becoming a superintendent until Evert announced last year that he would retire in June 2009. By the time the board made its surprise announcement in February, she had decided she would regret it if she didn’t apply for the job.
So Schulte had no problem saying “yes” when the board asked her to fill in.
She said, “it’s an honor and a privilege” when asked how she feels about being the district’s first woman superintendent.
Hard questions
Schulte has held down a central-office job for five years as director of student services. She has taken on additional duties during that time as the district cut positions and shifted responsibilities.
Now, she credits her student-services staff for stepping up as she devotes much of her time to being superintendent.
Schulte said she has called on others for expertise as she does something she’s never done before: run an organization with an annual budget of more than $112 million. Advisers include Doug Bunton, the district’s longtime business director; comptroller Lauri Clifton and Quint Studer, the CEO of Studer Group, the consulting company that is working with the district to improve the quality of education.
Schulte said a key part of her job is to question the status quo.
“I’m going to ask questions, and probably step on toes because I think part of being in this chair is I have to ask the hard questions, and I have to challenge people on their assumptions,” she said.
“We’re not going to do things as they’ve always been done just because that’s how we’ve done them.”
Mar 2, 2009 at 11:50 p.m.
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always negative to the possiblity of something good Open your eyes there needs to be some changes and if anyone can get a good start on this it will be Karen. Give her the chance to show you what she really has to offer. One thing is if you haven't had the oportunity to know Karen then you should go and meet her as you will find a dedicated person that CARES.
Mar 2, 2009 at 6:43 p.m.
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Purrmaid – You are quite welcome. I just did a simple internet search and had several choices to choose from. Here are a couple that are more recent.
Meeting Etiquette 101: The "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Meeting Manners
By: Caroline Cloutier
January 28, 2009
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Do Not Leave Your Blackberry On
It's common, but that does not make it right. Many people leave these devices on during meetings, creating a disturbance when they receive e-mails or phone calls. Some people even leave meetings to take "important" calls. Just as you wouldn't leave a fancy dinner party or date to take a call, or keep your phone on at a movie theater, turn your BlackBerry off when attending meetings.
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5 Ways to Overhaul Your Meetings Manners
By CC Holland
September 23rd, 2008
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4. Pay attention.
Turn off your phone. Don’t text, check e-mail, or play solitaire. Don’t fidget, tap your pen, or do anything that could distract others.
Participate. Ask questions and give feedback when appropriate.
.
But I guess, to each his own.
Mar 2, 2009 at 4:56 p.m.
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After listening to the vodcast on the Janesville Schools webpage, Dr. Schulte is calling herself the Superintendent. What happened to "Interim"? Has she already been appointed to the position? What about the money the District spent on a nationwide search?
Mar 2, 2009 at 1:38 p.m.
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sannio: One of her sons went to Keith School in Rockford because he wanted to do a lot more during his high school years and couldn't get all the courses he wanted to take at Parker High (or Craig High, for that matter). Her other son attended Parker. -- Gazette reporter Frank Schultz
Mar 2, 2009 at 7:22 a.m.
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sannio if I would have had the money to send my kids to a private school I would have as to certain issues she intends to address I had 2 foster sons of minority race and emotional issues and the experience I had in this district was devistating when they were in school as to some of the treatment they experienced( not only with the students either). Karen and Steve both were great with them and made a difference for them and many others she would be great for this position permantly. As to the cell phone comment, when you want to be on top of things this is a great way to stay in touch with priority issues and solve the problems as they happen not at the end of the school day when it may be to late. Karen makes things happen and I am grateful they chose her to fill this position at this time and I hope they KEEP her there. If you haven't had the chance of meeting her I hope you do as you will not find a more dedicated person to teaching the students and having more heart then most in this field. She chose the right career for herslf and many students and parents have overcome the stuggles and hardships because of her. Keep up the good work Karen. BTW when Steve left our district we lost a great asset to our schools mostly the students lost..
Mar 1, 2009 at 7:47 p.m.
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Thanks for the meeting etiquette quote written ten years ago. However, in today's extremely fast paced business world, executives of importance cannot place the rest of their business duties on hold every time they participate in a meeting. Not only are they expected to be available to their superiors, but their subordinates may need to provide them with additional information during the meeting. "I'll get back to you" doesn't cut it anymore. Items assigned during the course of the meeting can be delegated immediately if the executive has network access or texting capabilities. Using technology unobtrusively is not only a wise time management tool, it increases productivity on several levels.
Mar 1, 2009 at 6:26 p.m.
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Merriam-Webster online defines "minority" as "a part of a population differing from others in some characteristics and often subjected to differential treatment". Socioeconomic status can put a group of persons in the minority.
Mar 1, 2009 at 6:25 p.m.
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Bluetooth technology is great, but people need to quit walking around with those stupid things in their ear all the time. Using them while driving or something is great, but if you're too lazy to hold a phone up to your ear while you're standing around, well, enough said. Plus, they look absolutely stupid. You may as well wrap duct tape around your head to keep a phone attached to it. At least that would be more stylish. LOL
Mar 1, 2009 at 5:22 p.m.
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In the section about minority students, it seemed as if you were equating race with poverty. There are poor whites, often overlooked, and middle class blacks, naturally.
Mar 1, 2009 at 4:48 p.m.
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Purrmaid - Eleven Commandments for Business Meeting Etiquette . . .
5. Abstain from Electronics. As the notice posted at the beginning of films
in movie theaters requests, “Please
silence cell phones and pagers.” Activate voice mail if you have it, or forward messages to another phone.
Gary M. Smith is founder of Chatgris Press inNew Orleans. Titles include The Peer-Reviewed Journal, Coffee and Coffeehouses,The Complete Guide to DrivingEtiquette, Publishing for Small PressRuns, and Guided Meditation. Gary canbe contacted at P.O. Box 15092, New
Orleans, LA 70175-5092, (504) 895-5219,
or at gsmith@comm.net.
Mar 1, 2009 at 4:04 p.m.
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What is the difference of having a phone ring or a person answering a vibrating phone while in a meeting? This is so disrespectful and belittling to the group that is meeting that is beyond my imagination why it continues. Once you have meeting with Dr. Schulte and this happens to you, you will feel the same frustration. Her incessant texting leads conversations to be repeated for her benefit, leading to meetings being far less efficient. If it is not important for her to listen, she should politely excuse herself and let others make decisions, which they can inform her of later when it is more convenient for her.
Mar 1, 2009 at 3:49 p.m.
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Finally, someone who embraces technology! Answering the questions of others promptly means those people can get on with doing their job. VERY efficient, much more so than the waiting game...waiting for a person to get out of a meeting. What happens if they're off-site in an all day meeting? Should everyone cool their heels until they return? Keeping people waiting on an answer is not respectful of their time. Kudos to Ms. Schulte, her Blue Tooth and her nimble texting fingers!
The aforementioned "business etiquette" is somewhat incorrect. Agreed, ringing cell phones are a no-no, but texting your staff or sending an email from your laptop is accepted practice in most successful companies, especially in the case of executives attending multiple meetings, extensive travel, etc. Updated conference rooms include network connections at each seat. Taking notes on your laptop is preferred over handwritten notes as it makes disseminating information quick and efficient.
If an employee can't listen to a speaker while completing a text message or an email, then they should be replaced with someone with better skills in multi-tasking.
Mar 1, 2009 at 3:45 p.m.
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sannio: And your point is??? So she sent her children to private school in Illinois. So what! I think that is her choice. She could send her children to another country if she feels inclined to. As far as I can see, she seems to have a good head on her shoulders and will probably do Janesville a great service. An I am glad that she will be asking tough questions and probably step on some people's toes.
Mar 1, 2009 at 2:41 p.m.
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The woman is dedicated to the education and welfare of students. I had the honor of interviewing with her several years ago to volunteer tutor at the Turner Middle School.
Mar 1, 2009 at 11:46 a.m.
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New technology or not,if I am talking to you I need your attention which means both ears.
Anything less shows a lack of human decency.
Life does not come to an end because the cell phone is off for a minute. It's called voice mail.
Mar 1, 2009 at 11:44 a.m.
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As a teacher in the district, I absolutely love the attitude of the last sentence. Hundreds of times I've asked why things are done a way that makes no sense and does not benefit the kids, and I've always heard, "That's just the way we do it in Janesville." I hope her actions live up to her words, its good to have a bright new outlook.
Mar 1, 2009 at 11:03 a.m.
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janesvillean - You lead by example. Enough said.
Mar 1, 2009 at 11:01 a.m.
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The story clearly states that her two kids are at UWW. Yes, I do believe one son went to a private school in Rockford, which is a family decision. The Schulte family has every right to do what they think is best for their kids. How can we judge that? Schulte is a stand-up woman, and she will get the job done.
Mar 1, 2009 at 10:27 a.m.
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justsome1here, the boss gets to do those things.
Mar 1, 2009 at 9:25 a.m.
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Rule of business etiquette – Turn off cell phones and pagers (unless you are on call). This means no text messages during meetings and taking the Bluetooth out of your ear.
The age of instant communication and access are great unless you are trying to get something accomplished. Everybody’s time is valuable and having meetings interrupted by unnecessary calls and text messages is not only rude but unproductive.
Mar 1, 2009 at 6:50 a.m.
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Is this the same lady that sends her kids to private school in Illinois?
Mar 1, 2009 at 2:05 a.m.
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Wow! Very well written story. The flow is fast-paced which seems to mirror its subject, Karen Schulte, tackling her added responsibilities. She sounds like one busy administrator who is working her hardest to be on top of things. I wish her the best of luck. Stepping into the role of top gun for Janesville Schools has to be quite challenging mentally and physically especially in today's economy. Schulte's history is impressive to say the least. I admire her, but I sure don't envy the job she has here. Again, congratulations and good luck.
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