Curtis Cain said he is excited to step into the role of Rockwood School District’s superintendent on July 1.
Cain, who is wrapping up his duties leading the Wentzville School District, said he and his family already has moved to a home in the district, and he is ready to start connecting with a new school community.
“I’m excited about the possibilities and what’s in front of us as a district and as a community,” he said. “I’m
really looking forward to getting to know people. Relationships mean a great deal to me.”
Cain, 48, will replace Tim Ricker, 68, as Rockwood’s superintendent. Ricker served as the interim superintendent during the 2021-2022 school year after Mark Miles resigned.
Cain will be paid $255,000 in his first year at Rockwood, and Ricker’s salary was $230,000 this past school year.
To do
Cain said the top of his to-do list is getting to know the schools and community. He said he also plans to do a lot of listening.
“That’s really going to be an important component, especially early on, that people understand who this guy is that’s been given the privilege to serve as superintendent,” he said.
School safety is also on the top of his list.
“This is going to be a challenge that isn’t going to miraculously disappear in August 2022 or January 2023,” he said. “We have to constantly assess, reassess, plan, reconsider and collaborate in an effort to ensure everyone’s safety.”
Cain said his snow day policy also comes down to safety.
“It sounds like fun, but it’s actually not the easiest decision because you want to get it right,” he said. “You want to make sure that everyone’s safe.”
Cain said he also is aware parents have concerns about what literature is available to students.
He dealt with the issue last school year at Wentzville, where that Board of Education voted 4-3 to remove “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison from the library at Wentzville High School, but later reversed that decision.
In May, the Wentzville board voted 6-1 to ban “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by Alison Bechdel.
Cain said Rockwood has a good process in place for families to provide input about the books available in the district’s libraries and classrooms, and if there is a concern about certain titles, there is a the book challenge process in place.
“If I don’t want my child to read Book A, there are other books that are on library shelves or classroom shelves that students have a right to access if it meets the particular needs and desires of families,” he said. “I think that age appropriateness is definitely a consideration, but it’s always going to be counterbalanced against the fact that we have students who are going to have a wide array of aptitude skills and interests when it comes to reading.”
Transition
Ricker said he has spoken with Cain a few times a week to prepare for the transition.
“I prepared some of the documents that I thought were important for him to see on some of the workings in the Rockwood School District that are not necessarily part of Wentzville School District,” Ricker said. “A good example would be work with the Special School District.”
Cain is the reigning National Superintendent of the Year, an honor given by the American Association of School Administrators.
He has a doctorate and a master’s degree in educational administration from Iowa State University and a bachelor’s degree in social science education from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He began his career as a social studies teacher at Dollarway Junior High School in Pine Bluff.
Ricker said he has no worries about Cain taking over.
“He’s a professional,” Ricker said. “He’s a great learner. He’s a colleague, obviously, but a good friend. I think everybody will see once he gets on board that this Board of Education made the right decision.”
Board president Jaime Bayes said she feels Cain brings a lot of experience to the district.
“He is a very forward-thinking, a kind and humble human being, and so I think he will be a really wonderful superintendent to lead our district forward for a very long time,” she said.
Bayes said board members are looking forward to working with Cain, and the board will evaluate his progress quarterly throughout the school year.
“He’ll come to us with some goals, and we will use those goals as a guiding post throughout our evaluations this year,” she said. “That’s obviously the main job of the Board of Education, and we take that role very seriously.”
One year
Ricker said the 2021-2022 school year was difficult, especially because of the tragedies that occurred. At least 12 people connected to the district died during the past school year.
“We had more people in this district deal with the loss of life than I had my whole career,” he said. “That takes a toll on an organization, and I really appreciate all the people who’ve stepped up to help our staff and our students deal with all of the tragedy that we’ve had to deal with.”
Ricker said Rockwood responded to the tragedies well, and he also praised the partnership the district formed with Hazel Health during the school year.
Hazel Health is a health care service that provides physical and behavioral health care for students.
“I really appreciate the Board of Education’s approach over the course of this year, on all of the factors that we’ve worked on, both the easy stuff and the controversial stuff,” he said.
Ricker, who left a job with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said he does not have another job lined up, and he is looking forward to spending time with his grandchildren.
“I have no plans right now to do anything other than just relaxing,” he said.