Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Strong Legacy: Dr. Jim Ritchie is retiring this June after 11 as the Moreland School District superintendent. Previously, Ritchie was the assistant superintendent for the Washington School District in Phoenix, Ariz.
Moreland superintendent is retiring after 11 years of service in education
Jim Ritchie worked hard to improve, upgrade and create winning schools
By Moryt Milo
Eleven years ago Jim Ritchie became superintendent of the Moreland School District. He walked into a district financially insolvent, with schools in desperate need of renovation and a curriculum that hadn't changed in more than a decade.
This June he will retire knowing the district is financially sound, the schools are being modernized, and the changes in curriculum have earned all nine schools in the district the recognition of California Distinguished Schools.
"Bringing the love of kids and community building together is what's needed to activate a community and create great schools," Ritchie, 61, says. "Moreland has great parents and they wanted good schools."
But achieving this level of success meant hard choices and plenty of change, which was difficult for longtime educators in the district.
Castro Middle School eighth-grade math and science teacher Lou Miller was one of those educators. Having taught in the district since 1967, Miller says, "Some of us almost resented it and wanted to stay in our groove."
But change was key to Ritchie's philosophy of turning the district around and creating a progressive teaching environment.
In Miller's classes, math and science were no longer taught in 50-minute blocks but as back-to-back periods with the same teacher. This teaching style, called a core program, was a complete change from the prior departmentalized approach, in which students continually moved from class to class.
By staying with one teacher longer, the program provided greater stability for the students. The approach also allowed teachers to better understand students and meet each student's needs.
As these changes became the standard, Miller says, "I saw great improvement and a great contribution."
Ritchie remembers Miller sitting in his office questioning the need for change, but after experiencing the benefits, Ritchie says, Miller would never go back.
Ritchie says teachers like Miller are so refreshing and he admires those, who after 39 years, still love their job.
The passion for teaching and learning is what Ritchie tries to instill in all his teachers, and why he also holds a position as an adjunct graduate faculty teacher at Santa Clara University and San Jose State University.
This year he is teaching a course in educational management to 30 teachers working toward a master's degree in educational administration from Santa Clara University. It is a special program run by the Moreland and Campbell Union school districts, in which university professors and school administrators teach the master's program.
"At the base of learning, each teacher has to want to learn about learning and believe in what [he or she does]," Ritchie says. "Even if these teachers do not go into administration, they develop a broader picture of education and how to view the whole school."
Rogers Middle School teacher Randy Martino is in the master's program and has Ritchie as his instructor. Martino credits Ritchie with helping him find his focus.
Martino, 36, has been in and out of teaching several times, but each time he returned, Ritchie welcomed him back.
"When I first interviewed with him nine years ago, it caught my eye that this guy wasn't just a bureaucrat, but was truly able to connect with people," Martino says. "He could have been a CEO of a company, but he was very down to earth."
These attributes helped Ritchie carry out his goal of developing and implementing the district's strategic plan--a plan that encompasses teachers, students, family and community in a joint effort to improve school performance and redefine the district's direction.
Photograph courtesy of Moreland School District
Educator at Heart: Dr. Jim Ritchie reads a story to a third-grade class during a visit to Leroy Anderson Village School.
Country Lane kindergarten teacher Grace Sanfilippo, who has been teaching in the district for 36 years, says, "Ideas had been tossed around before but we never had any clear direction until Dr. Ritchie developed our strategic plan. It really solidified our purpose."
The purpose was based on the premise of creating schools that were more like family and less like institutions. His mission was to bring the community back to the public schools.
In order to accomplish this, Ritchie knew he needed a safe, small and personal environment; a district that placed importance on libraries and music programs; and schools that were family-friendly.
"The district needed to engage in an entrepreneurial spirit," he says.
It's a spirit that has grown vibrant during his 11 years of administration and a reason many teachers are eager to teach in the district.
Kevin Rouse, a teacher at Anderson School and president of the Moreland Teachers Union, says, "I chose to work at Moreland because I heard good things about the district."
Last year, the district hired 44 new credentialed teachers, many of them transferring from other schools to work in the Moreland District--another indicator of how successful the district has become.
Yet, as the district improved, Ritchie ensured no one lost sight of the most important part of the equation: focusing on the whole child and making each student's life more rewarding.
In his district of 4,500 students, Ritchie walks up to each child and greets them by name.
"Jim is very student oriented," Hastings says. "He knows each child by [his or her] first name so they all feel special."
And he extends this personable nature to his teachers and staff.
When Sanfilippo had to take a leave of absence because her brother was ill with leukemia, Ritchie was supportive.
"I was so touched when he came to my brother's funeral," she says. "It's not something you normally expect. He doesn't treat us like just another employee."
Rouse agrees with Sanfilippo, saying he is a person who is in touch with his teachers.
As the district continues to grow, there is a consensus among old and young teachers that it's the result of Ritchie's strong will and determination to make the district a better place.
He's had a clear vision about where things needed to go and he has been unwavering in his desire to get things done, Rouse says.
Although there is concern and sadness about his decision to retire, Ritchie has been so successful in putting the district on solid footing and with a clear direction for the future that he feels comfortable moving on.
Ritchie wants to spend more time with his family and give up the 70-hour workweeks.
The teachers have seen the results of his efforts and know he must be tired. But they don't believe he will stay away from education.
Campbell, California
