Forum editorial: Cheney expected excellence
The Forum
Published Thursday, June 29, 2006
West Fargo Superintendent of Schools Chuck Cheney would be the first to say that the district's success is the work of many people. True enough. But the retiring administrator can't escape high praise for his leadership of that team. Without his guidance, the growing district could have stumbled. It did not. Instead, the state's fastest growing public school district also is one of the best. Cheney expected excellence, and with a steady and competent management hand, got it.
Cheney, who ends his service this week, knows the school district from the ground up. He's been at West Fargo for 40 years, having started, as they say, ";in the trenches,"; that is, the classroom. He started teaching in 1965. He was principal at L.E. Berger Middle School and then was assistant superintendent.
He left the district three times: twice to do graduate work and once to try banking in his hometown in Minnesota. But he returned to education and for the last seven years built a record of success that is the envy of school administrators across North Dakota.
When Cheney began working in West Fargo, it was a small, backwater school district. When he took over as superintendent, the student population had begun to grow and was about 5,000. Today, the district counts nearly 6,000 and is growing rapidly.
Cheney's leadership style, his administrative skill and his deep knowledge of the community provided him with the tools to manage growth. During his tenure, West Fargo positioned itself to deal with growth for the next decade or longer. New buildings were built and grade configurations changed. West Fargo schools capitalized on the growing population of young families and developed facilities, academic curricula and sports programs that put the district on the public education map. As a result, the district has in place a plan to serve 8,000 students.
The retiring superintendent was rewarded for his work in several ways: A new middle school bears his name; the high school has become a perennial Class A sports power; a district that once was a steppingstone for faculty and staff is today a magnet for good teachers.
But Cheney's greatest reward is the success of West Fargo students. New buildings, management changes and smart growth initiatives are aimed at one goal: providing West Fargo's young people with the best possible educational opportunities. That daunting task was accomplished during Cheney's watch. His community can say sincerely: a job well done.
Forum editorials represent the opinion of Forum
management and the newspaper's Editorial Board. |
