How do you capture 20 years of a person’s life in a 5-minute talk and at the same time express the loss you feel with the passing of someone as close as Don Anderson? A pretty daunting task, but after thinking deeply about it, four descriptors came to mind and I used them to guide my thoughts.
Leader, mentor, boss, and friend
As a leader, Don had a moral and ethical compass that guided his every action. I was already in Kennewick when Don arrived at the KSD. I didn’t know much about his career before Kennewick, but I soon learned a lot about places like Kettle Falls, LaCrosse, Chewela, Colville and Othello through the stories he told. These stories were not just about how problems were solved in these small, rural districts, but revealed at a deeper level his leadership style. I learned that he was a long-time member of the Horace Mann League, an organization whose ideals he exemplified in his role of educational leader of the KSD. He spoke of these ideals often:
The League’s purpose and activities are to strengthen our public schools. The League believes that the public school system is an indispensable agency for the perpetuation of the ideals of our democracy and a most necessary unifying and dynamic influence in American life. Our public schools should be free, classless, non- sectarian, and open to all of the children of all of the people. The schools must prepare children and youth for effective citizenship in our democracy.
Don fought tirelessly to uphold these goals and his thoughtful vision for the Kennewick schools resulted in a school system:
- Where each teacher and student knew they were valued as unique individuals.
- Where every district staff member, be they principal, teacher or bus driver, knew they could walk into the district office, be greeted by name, and talk to “The Doc” if they needed to.
- Where the district and individual teachers strove to provide resources to help each child reach their full potential because that was what we did, not because of some Federal or State mandate.
Don’s dedication to the purposes of the Horace Mann League is especially missed today at a time when the local control of schools is being badly eroded and teacher bashing seems to be the new team sport.
The second descriptor is MENTOR.
Mentoring came naturally to Don. I used to say that every administrator in Kennewick knew more about Washington school finance and budgeting than many school business officials because he taught us. There are many in this room who owe a debt of gratitude to Don for the time he spent helping them advance their careers. I could never thank him enough for the guidance he gave me in district office administration and especially in my own educational development. Even his leadership style contributed to this. Confronted with a difficult problem, Don would mull it over sometimes for days, then he would drop in on John Walker, Audrey Ogletree, Marilyn Budd, or even me and try out his potential solution. Then he would likely try it out on Ad Council, accepting feedback at every stop in an effort to get it right. This thoughtful approach had an impact on all of us because he modeled the behavior he expected. Most of us got it.
The third descriptor is BOSS.
Don was the best boss I ever had. He was great at distributing authority but we were all aware of the responsibility that went with that. He divided up the areas of responsibility and stayed out of it unless we screwed up. And because of that trust we really didn’t want to let him down.
There was nothing fake about him. What you saw was what you got.
The fourth descriptor is FRIEND.
Our friendship deepened even after retirement. We shared a teaching background, physics and advanced math, and an interest in the arts. These and a 20-year relationship as Superintendent and assistant built a strong bond. At our semi-regular outings with our spouses, Don loved to share stories about the humorous things that happened to us in our journey together through the 20 years we worked together. He especially liked the ones where I was in front of a crowd of hostile parents trying to figure a way out. Kamiakin High modular schedule, changing school boundaries, all-day kindergarten, and anything to do with year-round schools come to mind. Both Marie and I value the friendship he and Ruth shared with our family.
Don lived a life devoted to making things better for others. As a former Kennewick teacher, Bob Miesner, said on the ksdcitizens Facebook page, “He left his mark in so many ways far and wide. His influence touched literally thousands of children in Eastern Washington. I feel blessed to have worked with him and learned from him.”
Me too, Bob. Me too.
I agree, Bob. Dr. Anderson was the best superintendent I have worked for. He was an exceptional leader who guided Kennewick schools to excellence with trust and confidence in district staff who were inspired by his example to work diligently meeting the needs of students.