Bentonville School District Workers Moving On

BENTONVILLE -- The last day of school Thursday will mark the end of a 39-year career in education for Mitch Terry, but he admitted he's probably not going to miss teaching.

"I've got a lot of other stuff to occupy me," he said with a smile.

At A Glance

Retirees

Here are the teachers, administrators and staff members retiring this year from the Bentonville School District.

Name*Position*Years With District

Elmo Ausmus*Electrician*30

Barbara Betz*Sixth-grade science/social studies teacher*31

Pam Blair*Principal*6

Diane Brady*Fifth-grade math*25

James Casteel*School psychology specialist*21

Jerry Center*Seventh-grade science teacher*19

Beverly Eubanks*High school biology teacher*38

Galen Havner*Human resources director*17

Patricia Holden*Art teacher*8

Alice Hysell*Counselor*21

Deloris Jobe*Accounts payable*25

Sandy Karnopp*Sixth-grade math teacher*19

Rick Minyard*Warehouse*11

Teresa Minyard*Database administrator*28

Beverly Munstermann*Second-grade teacher*33

Rick Rachel*High school social studies teacher*16

Karen Reyna* Speech pathologist* 12

Cheryl Rutledge*Special education*14

Larry Schoenwald*Plumber*8

Marsha Stroud*Intervention specialist*28

James Swim*Assistant principal*26

Paula Thiessen*Kindergarten teacher*8

Mitch Terry*Art teacher*26

Clint Washam*Bus assistant*2

Kay White*English as a second language*39

Peggy White*Sixth-grade English teacher*29

Source: Staff Report

Terry, an art teacher at Ruth Barker Middle School, is one of more than two dozen School District employees retiring this year.

He's a husband, a father and a grandfather. His wife, Deborah Terry, retired as head of the art department at NorthWest Arkansas Community College five years ago.

He's also a painter and the author of four published novels and one children's book. He's working on a fifth novel, "Okiehomeland," and two more children's books, which he both writes and illustrates. He's done all this writing on weekends and any other free time he could find.

Terry, 62, of Fayetteville, said he had no intentions of retiring until recently when he discussed the subject with his father and other retirees.

"It just dawned on me, why not," he said. "I feel like I just got started, so it's kind of a strange adjustment."

Barker Middle is the fourth Bentonville school in which Terry has taught. His career also has included stints as principal of Old High Middle School, high school principal in Decatur and transportation director in Farmington. Before coming to Arkansas he taught in Missouri and his native Oklahoma.

From that hodgepodge of positions, Terry cites his years teaching at Thomas Jefferson and Central Park Elementary as his favorite times. Galen Havner, district director of human resources who's also retiring this summer, was principal of both schools at the time.

"(Havner) created such an atmosphere that was conducive to being creative," Terry said. "He's very open, he's very artistic. He just makes the whole atmosphere at ease."

Terry marvels at the fact, as an art teacher, he gets "paid to color." Now he's looking forward to a "more artistic adventure."

Terry has been with Barker Middle for only one year, moving over from Central Park. Rose Fowler, Barker's principal, said it's been a pleasure to have him on staff.

"We would have loved to have kept him longer, but he was ready," Fowler said.

Fowler has been impressed by Terry's easygoing nature and the way he teaches drawing during the times she's stopped to observe his classroom.

"Just the way he's taking (students) through the steps, the setting of the classroom, it's very calming," she said.

James Swim, Bentonville High School's longest-tenured administrator, also will retire this month. His last day is June 24.

Swim, 66, started at the high school as a chemistry teacher in 1988. He was promoted to assistant principal in 1997.

Back then, the high school had about 1,200 students and two assistant principals. Now it has about 4,000 students and six assistant principals. He has worked for eight principals during his time at Bentonville High, he said.

Education is Swim's second career. He began working at age 18 for the St. Louis Southwestern Railway and stayed in the railroad industry for 20 years. He and his family then moved to Northwest Arkansas.

"We thought it was time for a change," he said.

Despite once swearing never to go into education, Swim eventually was drawn to it. Teaching Sunday school showed him he liked working with kids. Family had something to do with the career move as well. His mother, grandmother and wife all were educators. Marsha Swim, his wife, retired from the district last year as a math teacher.

Swim's only child, Jason, is an environmental science teacher at the high school. Swim said he hardly ever sees his son during school because of the size of the campus.

Chad Scott, Bentonville High principal, called Swim a "steady hand kind of guy" who has been a great help to him and other staff members, particularly because of his institutional knowledge.

"He's been there and he knows the things that have happened," Scott said. "He knows how decisions were made and why we made certain decisions on policies and about students and programs. He's a great resource for all of those things. I know everyone on staff, specifically the administrators, lean on him for so many things to make decisions. We're really going to miss not having him as a sounding board to just be able to ask questions and give us insight and background."

The past school year has presented challenges at the high school. Scheduling woes, complicated by the implementation of a new system, caused problems for many students early in the year. A popular band teacher died in a car crash in October. Three bomb threats, including one that caused an early dismissal, have been reported there since February.

Swim shrugged off the notion it's been an especially difficult school year.

"Every year is unique and has its own challenges," he said.

Swim said he'll miss his colleagues more than he'll miss his job. Much of his time this school year -- at least half, he estimated -- has been spent conducting teacher evaluations.

Asked for wisdom he would pass on to his colleagues, Swim said, "The main thing is to stay the course. Try to be consistent and fair in how you deal with people."

Swim and his wife live in Bella Vista. He said they probably will stay in the area as long as their son, who has two children of his own, stay as well.

Jeremy Yates, a high school science teacher, has been chosen to replace Swim.

NW News on 06/02/2014

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