New boss seeks ties of pupils, learning

Kellogg starts in Eureka Springs

David Kellogg, the new superintendent of the Eureka Springs School District, remembers wishing he could give lectures with the skill of one of his college professors, but he also realized that not every student shared his level of interest.

Kellogg, who started his education career teaching health and physical education in El Dorado, studied what madehis college professor so effective and has taken an interest throughout his career in strategies that motivate students to learn.

“He knew the subject extremely well,” Kellogg said of his college professor. “He knew how to tie in history and make it relevant to the kids. The more relevant you make a subject to a student, the more engaged they’re going to be.”

Kellogg began his duties in Eureka Springs on Monday, succeeding former Superintendent Curtis Turner, who is now superintendent of Mineral Springs School District. Kellogg is spending time before the start of school Aug. 20 learning the district’s facilities and meeting staff and community members.

“I like to be child-centered in my decision-making,” he said. “I feel like teaching in education is an area somebody needs to be called to. It’s not just a vocation. I like to see kids involved in a variety of extracurricular activities. The more kids you can help provide a niche for in school, the greater sense of belonging they have.”

His job in Eureka Springs brings Kellogg to Northwest Arkansas for the second time in his career. He spent 2001-10 in roles as assistant principal and principal at Springdale High School.

Kellogg resigned from Springdale High School to become a consultant for the Southern Regional Education Board’s High Schools That Work program. He was consulting in 2010-11 in the Cossatot River School District in Polk County. The CossatotRiver district tapped him to be superintendent, where he served until being hired by Eureka Springs.

“He is a people person,” said Springdale Superintendent Jim Rollins. “He will quickly determine the pulse of the community and the goals of the district and have the community and district working in partnership.”

While Kellogg was principal at Springdale High School, he was recognized as a leader in the High Schools That Work program, and the Southern Regional Education Board recruited him away from the district to work with the program, Rollins said.

During Kellogg’s tenure at Springdale High School, it became one of the premier demonstration sites for High Schools That Work, said Rhenida Rennie, director of contracted services for the organization. The program was created in 1985 and has become one of the largestschool-improvement initiatives in the country.

High Schools That Work, now in place in 1,200 schools across the country - about 50 of which are in Arkansas - is based on a framework of policies, practices and procedures that focus on motivating students to put effort into learning, Rennie said.

Kellogg was a strong leader with the ability to communicate, build relationships and provide encouragement during his time at Springdale High School, Rennie said.

Kellogg, 57, grew up in Springhill, La. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Arkansas Tech University in the late 1970s and took his first job in education in 1979 with the ElDorado School District. He was a teacher and coach.

Kellogg entered school administration in 1984, with four different jobs in administration with the El Dorado district. His career alsoincluded stints at Watson Chapel outside of Pine Bluff and the Pulaski County Special School District.

Kellogg said he likes Northwest Arkansas. His 27-year-old daughter is a resident doctor at the Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and his 22-yearold son is a senior mechanical engineering major at Arkansas Tech University. Kellogg’s wife, Dianne, also is a teacher in the Springdale School District.

Kellogg plans to spend time getting to know the school district’s staff, students, parents and community and assess the strengths of the district and identify areas for improvement.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 9 on 07/06/2013

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