Dr. Jared
Smith named new superintendent
The South Tama Community School
District is pleased to announce that Dr. Jared Smith has accepted the offer to
serve as new district superintendent.
The candidate pool included 18 total applicants. Seven candidates were from outside the state
of Iowa, 8 candidates had superintendent experience, and five candidates had an
Ed.D. or Ph.D. degree
Based on application materials,
references, and feedback from the formal interview process it was clear that
Dr. Smith was the right person to lead the district. The desired qualifications for the position
included:
Builds school and community
relations
Visible in the school and community Strong Instructional Leader Effectively manages district resources Is approachable and open minded Follows through on tasks and responsibilities
Dr. Smith is currently the HS
principal at Muscatine. He has
administrative experience in Waterloo and Ft. Dodge Schools; he also was an
elementary teacher in Chicago, Illinois, and a HS math teacher in Sarasota, Florida. Dr. Smith is an Iowa native graduating from
West High in Waterloo, Iowa. He received
his BA from the University of Northern Iowa; a Master’s Degree in Educational
Leadership from National-Louis University, Tampa, Florida; a Certificate of
Advanced Studies and a PhD in Educational Leadership from Iowa State
University.
Dr. Smith has been a “culture
builder” everywhere he has worked. His
past successes have included improving student achievement scores, lowering
dropout rates, and expanding STEM and Career and Technical Education
initiatives. Dr. Smith has been very
effective in improving the quality of the PLC teams at Muscatine High School,
and he has brought an organized system and process to the professional
conversation concerning teaching and learning.
Dr. Smith was excited to accept the
position saying, “I’d like to thank the South Tama County School Board and all those who
took part in the process. Lindsey and I
are looking forward to becoming a part of your community and I’ll be working
hard to make the South Tama County School District a premier school district in
the state of Iowa.” Jared is
married to Lindsey Smith (Fisher) who grew up in Tama County. Much of the couple’s family still resides in
the area.
Pending board
approval and successful background check, Dr. Smith will be officially starting
his duties with the district on July 1, 2018.
Grundmeyer Leader Search from Ankeny, Iowa, assisted the district with
the search process.