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Hamilton
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FUHSD superintendent calls it a day
Joe Hamilton worked in education for 37 years, is described as 'pro-student'
By GEORGE MOORE
Joe Hamilton loved teaching. He loved the interaction with his students and still thinks of himself as a teacher. But he also loved change and enjoyed other opportunities within the educational system, eventually becoming superintendent of the Fremont Union High School District in 1997.
"That's one of the nice things about education--you can do a lot of different things," Hamilton said.
But after 37 years of educational involvement in the Bay Area, Hamilton, who recently turned 62, announced his retirement at a Jan. 15 Board of Trustees meeting.
Betty Pow, principal of Monta Vista High School, said Hamilton has a good understanding of what the demands are from a site perspective. Pow said he is consistent in dealing with all aspects of the educational community and is pro-student.
"He's taken a lot of time to come out to the campuses to talk to students and share their concerns with administrative staff," Pow said.
Hamilton's career in teaching began in Gilroy, where he taught for three years before a 25-year stint at Logan High School in Union City. Hamilton was the principal of Logan for five years before joining FUHSD as assistant superintendent in 1992.
As a teacher at Logan, he taught all social science classes and created some electives, including Teenage Family Issues, which is still offered at Logan.
"I wouldn't teach the same course for more than three or four years," Hamilton said.
He said he became principal at Logan and eventually superintendent at FUHSD because he wanted to have some influence over things and enjoyed the creative aspect. Hamilton added that has always liked working with the community and in some ways it replaced his joy of working with students.
Hamilton said he is proud of helping to develop the Infant Care Center at Cupertino High School and organizing a biannual performing arts presentation of all local high school chorale and orchestra groups at the Flint Center.
During his five years as superintendent, high school student achievement has been at a high level. Of the 865 high schools in California, all of the district's schools are rated in the top third, four are among the top 75, and two are in the top 10.
"Joe is best known in the district for moving us forward in this era of accountability and test scores," said Bill Richter, principal at Lynbrook.
Richter added that all the years Hamilton spent as a teacher and working as an administrator enabled him to know how sites operate and understand their needs.
One of Hamilton's first jobs as superintendent was to help settle a labor dispute in the district. He said teachers hated the administrators and community members distrusted the teachers. He said he doesn't want to take too much credit for coming up with a solution, adding that there were many people involved. The district now has contracts that share increased revenues with its employees--almost all going toward salaries, which have increased about 35 percent.
Hamilton made it a priority to modernize all facilities and placed an emphasis on technology. There are new and ongoing developments that include the building of new classrooms, gymnasiums and new libraries at Lynbrook, Homestead and Fremont high schools.
There were no certified personnel in the school libraries when he joined the district.
"To me, libraries are the heart of both technology and all other informational resources in our schools," Hamilton said. "I thought we needed to have a person that could really help staff and students make use of those resources and give ongoing support."
The district is moving toward a new student data system that was developed by former Sunnyvale High School student Greg Porter in 1982. Porter's idea was expanded upon and eventually sold to Apple Computer for $31.5 million. It is called Powerschool and enables parents to check on their children's attendance, tardiness, grades and assignments through web-based access.
"He's set some direction for the district in the areas of technology and communication," Pow said. "We've made some really good progress, and he's really provided that leadership for us."
Hamilton said he would like to travel and spend more time with his two grandchildren in his retirement. He also enjoys writing as a hobby and might write about his family history.
According to Hamilton, his maternal grandmother boarded a steamer to Brazil on New Year's Eve in 1899, where she met his grandfather, who was a missionary in Bahia. They lived in Bahia for 30 years and his mother was born there. Hamilton traveled to Bahia on New Year's Eve in 1999, 100 years later, and would like to write a sort of historical fiction piece about the very interesting life that they had there.
Hamilton wants to spend time doing volunteer work in the community--he belongs to the Sunnyvale Rotary and the American Leadership Forum. He also plans to stay involved locally in Cupertino, where he's lived since 1998.
One of his last big ventures with the district will be traveling to China in April with the band and orchestra from Lynbrook, which he said is probably the best in the state. John Felder, director of the orchestra and former colleague at Logan, asked him if he would like to attend the trip.
"It will be a real honor for me," Hamilton said.
Pow said whenever she calls Hamilton with questions or concerns, he reflects and talks to others before getting back to her.
"I can always rely on his follow through," Pow said. "We'll miss his leadership and support."
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
