District 10 Superintendent retiring
Kenneth Cull joined Itasca Elementary District 10 in 2001 after spending 30 years working with Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54.
Though he started as a math teacher, it didn't take long for him to move up the ranks through the administration, eventually landing as the associate superintendent in District 54.
This week, he retired from District 10.
Daily Herald Staff Writer Catherine Edman sat down with the longtime educator to find out how he plans to spend all his free time. Following is an edited transcript.
Q. Many superintendents say they'll retire, then actually work for other districts on a part-time basis. Are you going golfing or do you plan to go back behind a desk?
A. I know I am not going to work full-time. I could be a greeter full-time at Wal-Mart but I'm not going to do that. I may do some part-time teaching at the university level, maybe I'll do human resources work. I've been a 12-month employee for 35 years. I've never taken a two-week vacation. I'm going to try to take July and August off.
Q. What finally played into your decision to retire? Your contract wasn't set to expire until 2010.
A. It comes to the point mathematically where you need to look at your situation. If you're making $100,000, for example, and you could sit home for an $85,000 pension, then ...
Q. Is there anything you wish you would have accomplished during your time with the district that you weren't able to do?
A. We had a large turnover on the board a little over a year ago. I would have really liked to see the board do a community survey and strategic plan. It was a really great time to do it. Unfortunately other things just got in the way and we didn't get to it and I hope they do pursue it.
Q. I know you're helping Marcia Tornatore prepare for her new role as superintendent. What are some of the strengths she brings to the job and what pieces of advice have you passed along?
A. She really knows good instruction. She knows all of the grants. I've just talked to her about board relations and personnel. My biggest advice is that everything that seems like a crisis isn't. Save your worrying for things that really are big. These things that pop up and seem like crisis tend to resolve themselves.
Q. Of what are you most proud?
A. The process that ended up with us having a budget that's balanced and building small surpluses.
Q. Your moment of greatest frustration?
A. We developed a multiagency agreement with the Itasca Park District to improve Franzen Park. I was just disappointed and frustrated with my board's reaction to what I thought was a good community-spirited agreement. The new board second-quessed the decision and the feel-good spirit that was there. It was one of those no-good deeds goes unpunished moments.
Q. What tasks the school board face in the near future?
A. The property tax cap is still the tax cap and our costs are still going to increase greater than the CPI, so it's always going to be a challenge to have a balanced budget. They've also got to keep an eye on enrollment.
Q. What's the biggest challenge facing students today?
A. Students are so booked. To some degree that's a good thing: we want to see them well-rounded and taking care of academics. But I see them being overbooked and having no time to be kids. There's not enough creative unstructured play time.
Q. What's the first thing you plan to do on your first day of retirement?
A. People assume my wife has a long list of things for me to do, but I'm a do-it-yourself home-repair putzer. I'm hoping I can meticulously clean my flower beds and trim some edges.