Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School Superintendent Alex Carter received a two-year contract extension last week. The agreement commits Carter to serving through 2016.
The school board and Carter agreed on Tuesday, Feb. 25, to an addendum to the contract, which gives the district the option to extend Carter’s service on a year-by-year basis after the expiration of the current contract.
“This board is committed to positive change,” said board member Pete Montano, “and we see Alex’s leadership as an important piece of the puzzle. We’re thrilled that he will be at the helm for the foreseeable future.”
Carter became superintendent at the start of the 2012-13 school year.
Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 schools have not met state performance expectations for four straight years. According to the Colorado Department of Education, the Re-1 received a total accreditation score of 43.7 percent in 2012-13, again requiring school officials to adopt a priority improvement plan. In 2010, the district received a score of 50 percent, and the scores have steadily declined to last year’s low.
Accredited with a priority improvement plan for the fourth consecutive year, the school district received less than 40 percentage points for academic achievement in the state’s annual preliminary performance report. For overall academic growth, the district received 52 percentage points. Test participation, safety and finance scores, all of which met state requirements, helped keep the district above a 41 percent turnaround status.
According to the board, Carter has implemented research-based instructional frameworks to accelerate student learning; provided district-wide support for teachers to study data that would lead to improved student achievement; and led efforts to build a new high school, which is set to open in 2015.
“Alex has helped build bridges between the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal community and the school district,” said board secretary Eric Whyte. “We’re excited for him to continue to serve our district for years to come.”
Carter admitted that a lot of work remains, but he said he’s optimistic about the direction of the district. He said students were capable of outstanding achievement; teachers were highly professional, committed and hardworking; and the district was dedicated to readying students for post-secondary and workforce success.
“We are starting to see some early indicators of success,” he said. “I am confident that we will be seeing even more positive data in the coming year.”
Board vice president Jack Schuenemeyer agreed.
“We’ve clearly made progress,” he said. “We’re happy that Alex will be here to provide continued leadership.”
Schuenemeyer said the board believes it’s important for the district to maintain a continuity of leadership as efforts are made to meet students’ needs.
According to a press release, the terms of the contract reflect that Carter’s salary and benefits will remain unchanged. Carter receives an annual salary of $115,000, health coverage, a car and continuing-education allowances.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com