Current Windham Superintendent Dr. Aireane Curtis did not envision herself leaving anytime soon. But when opportunity knocked, she seized the moment and will begin a new chapter in her career, having been named Crestwood’s new Superintendent by the Crestwood Board of Education last Tuesday evening.
“Crestwood is a bigger district with a lot more kids and a lot more staff. I feel I can have an even bigger impact on more people,” Curtis told The Weekly Villager on June 13. “I think it also gets me closer to home. Part of the reason I stay in Portage County is that I live here and I love being here but I have also seen some of the great things that happen in the schools around the county and it is not something I want to leave.”
Curtis will continue her responsibilities as Windham’s Superintendent for another month before officially beginning her new position in Mantua on Aug. 1. Windham’s Board of Education has begun searching for her replacement with the goal of selecting a candidate before Curtis leaves so she can help the new superintendent with the transition.
Curtis will succeed Crestwood Superintendent Dr. David Michael Toth, who is leaving after 11 years to take over as the Superintendent for Orrville City Schools in Wayne County. Although Curtis is leaving Windham after five years as superintendent, she still remains connected to Portage County. Although she did not grow up in Portage County, she quickly fell in love with the community when she started her career in the Streetsboro school district.
“It was really the sense of community and sense of pride in the kids,” she noted. “I see that from school to school and it is just so nice. You do not see that everywhere and you do not see communities come together.”
According to Curtis, when she began her career, she always envisioned herself being a superintendent in a smaller district.
In her eyes, having that role in a larger school district did not suit her leadership style as she believed she would not have the chance to really connect with the community but in a smaller district she would have a lot more freedom.
“I know if I go to a district like that, I am going to be in an office all day and that is not who I am as a leader,” Curtis added. “I want to be out with the kids, staff and be out in the community and so when the opportunity arose to leave Streetsboro as an Assistant Superintendent, it was a great opportunity because it gave me that opportunity to go to a little district which is what I really wanted to do.”
Although she joined one of the smallest school districts in the State of Ohio, Curtis accomplished a lot in her five years at the helm in Windham. During her tenure, she secured several grants to make improvements around the community and also in the classroom.
Windham has already installed safety film at the entrances and front windows of all of the buildings, improved the STEM Program and is in the final stages of building a new playground at the elementary school, all through grant funds.
“I want our kids to have every opportunity that they can,” Curtis said. “It does not matter if they have 30 or 35 kids in their class. When they graduate, they should be given every opportunity that every other district in the State of Ohio has so the ability to secure grants and give opportunities to our kids, it is something that I am very proud of.”
Although she is starting over in a new school district, Curtis is far from unfamiliar to the Crestwood school district, as she has maintained several working relationships throughout her time working in the Portage County school district.
“Parents that I taught with were over at Streetsboro, and there are Windham connections too at Crestwood with some families,” she added. “I know there are all of those connections so that is why it is nice.”
Curtis said her connections have come from attending various events such as quiz bowls and spelling bees and believes her existing connections can help her make a fast transitions when she begins serving as Crestwood’s Superintendent.
Before she becomes a Red Devil, Curtis’ final month as a Bomber will have her finishing fiscal plans and state surveys and also assisting in getting her replacement up to speed.
“My replacement is going to have make those connections that I have,” she said. “Those connections that I have made over the last five years, that person is going to have to make those connections on their own and figure that out but in terms of the people, that is something that is very doable if that person puts the time into it.”
