By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
January is School Board Appreciation Month. The first full week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week. There are appreciation days for school employees such as principals, librarians, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, paraprofessionals, resource officers and substitute teachers.
There is, however, no specific day, week or month to honor school superintendents.
That’s why three years ago the Otsego Public School Board of Education created its own Superintendent Appreciation Day to recognize and honor district superintendent Jeff Haase.
This year’s Superintendent Appreciation Day at OPS was Monday, Feb. 26.
“I am extremely appreciative of this recognition by the school board,” Haase said. “This appreciation is a tribute to our students, staff and community as it is a privilege and honor to serve this district in my role.”
Amy Stender is president of the Otsego Board of Education.
“In Otsego, we think celebrating success is important,” Stender said. “We recognize a job well done, and we recognize the hard work and sometimes very long hours that staff put into making our district a success.
“Jeff has had a long record of excellent superintendent evaluations during his tenure here, and we think it’s important to let him know how much he is appreciated beyond just giving him a great evaluation.”
The theme of this year’s Superintendent Appreciation Day was “favorite things.” District employees were invited to share their favorite things with Haase, with those items being packaged together in gift boxes and presented to Haase by the board members.
Stender’s contribution was Girl Scout cookies and her favorite brand of whipped honey.
“It’s a small way of sharing some of the little things we enjoy most in life with someone we think is pretty special,” Stender said.
According to Stender, a good superintendent is a visionary who is in tune with the needs of the school district and leads the district’s staff to accomplish the goals set by the strategic plan.
Haase, she said, fits that criteria.
“Each year Jeff sets smaller goals based on our strategic plan, and then takes action to implement the necessary changes or programs to achieve the goal,” she said. “He’s very student-centered in his approach to decision making and he’s very personable with everyone in the district. He’s also a great listener and empathetic to his staff, which I think are both important attributes in a leader.”
Stender pointed out that turnover rates among school superintendents tends to be high, with several districts currently having vacancies for the position.
So, she and the rest of the board appreciate the stability Haase has brought to Otsego.
“It’s a demanding job in which a superintendent wears many hats and some of the decisions that need to be made are very difficult,” she said. “In Otsego, we have been fortunate to have had Jeff Haase stay with us for many years, and I think that’s a testimony to everyone in the district.
“In Otsego, we know that working together and staying student-centered makes for successful outcomes, and a great place to be for students and staff.”