By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
Looking back on his years at the helm of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Superintendent Neil Pedersen said he is pleased with the work that he’s done, but that there’s still a long way to go.
Pedersen, who turned 60 in June, announced at a school board meeting last week that he would retire at the end of the 2010-11 school year after 18 years leading the school district. The move followed weeks of speculation that the soft-spoken administrator would retire, since he hadn’t asked the board to renew his four-year contract.
“The major focus for us when I became superintendent was to close the achievement gap … and I am proud of the progress that we made during this time and the supports that we’ve put in place to increase student achievement among students of color in particular,†Pedersen said. “At the same time, I will leave feeling like the goals that we set were not fully accomplished.â€
Pedersen is the longest-serving superintendent in the district’s 100-year history and the longest-serving superintendent currently working in North Carolina, with 17 years as superintendent under his belt. He has overseen tremendous growth, with the construction of nine new schools during his tenure, and has approached the minority achievement gap head-on, launching programs and initiatives to improve student achievement.
“I think he’s been a very effective superintendent, and he’s clearly been involved in every program that the school system has in place currently,†school board chair Mike Kelley said. “Almost every classroom, every program and right down to the bottom, he’s been involved at some level.â€
In 1992, shortly after he became superintendent, Pedersen convened the Blue Ribbon Task Force to take a hard look at the achievement gap. Based on the recommendations of the task force, several programs and services were launched, including the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate, a mentoring program focusing on improving the achievement of black and Latino students.
Graig Meyer, program coordinator of Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate, pointed out that Pedersen was one of the program’s original mentors.
“The way that I got to know him was not as a superintendent, but as a mentor,†he said. “I could see the way that he was learning from the experiences of his mentee and really considering deeply what those experiences meant for other students.â€
Meyer said Pedersen has always been a very supportive superintendent who listens and tries to understand what is going on in district programs.
“I really believe that he has done a fantastic job of … keeping our focus on the most important issues and not taking our foot off the accelerator,†he said. “He’s due all the credit that comes to him.â€
As he enters his final year as superintendent, Pedersen said he is aware of the challenges before him – in particular, another tight budget cycle.
“I certainly approach the year as my last shot to enhance our educational services and improve student achievement and I hope to make significant progress,†Pedersen said.
“Preparing a budget this year will be once again quite challenging and almost certainly more challenging than it’s been for the past two or three years. I hope that we can develop a budget that’s lean but does not detract from the quality of education that our students receive.
“I want to make sure that we don’t lose many of the programs and resources that have come about during my administration,†he continued. “We certainly will stay focused on student achievement in a variety of ways.â€
As for the end of his final year, Pedersen has no concrete plans, other than to take a little time for himself.
“I certainly would like to have some more time for my family and for myself and for me to reflect on the experiences that I’ve had,†he said. “And to change the pace of my life to some extent.â€