Homer district names superintendent
HOMER GLEN -- Former Hadley School Principal J. Michel Morrow took over this year as the new superintendent of Homer School District.
Morrow has spent 18 years with the district and agreed to a three-year contract with $150,000 a year salary. Read about his transition from the classroom to administration, his love for travel and the best advice he received about his career.
Question: Did you always want to be in education?
Answer: Well I've been in it for 31 years and that's a choice I made a long time ago, so I think I did.
Q: When you began your career as an elementary school teacher in 1977, did you think you would be doing it for so long?
A: I figured it was my career, I wasn't anticipating changing professions.
Q: Why did you make the switch from teaching in the classroom to administration?
A: In 1988, I took an assistant principal job at Schilling School in Homer. As I was teaching I was also going back to school to get an advance degree in supervision and administration.
Q: You, at one point, worked for the district, and left to become a superintendent at another school district. Why did you come back to Homer Glen?
A: You know, I took my opportunity to work at another school district (as a superintendent) and to see a different side of the world because most of my time has been in Homer obviously. When my contract at the school was finished, I decided not to renew the contract and decided to come back to Homer.
Q: When you and I last spoke, I asked you if you were going to make any changes to the district and you said "I think I'm going to try and maintain the positive success that we have had not only academically but financially for the district." Do you still feel that way?
A: Yes, I still feel that we have a solid foundation and such a strong financial base as well.
Q: A $36.4 million referendum that failed this past February to build a new school. Do you plan to ask voters again for another tax hike?
A: At this point we are not pursuing another tax hike for building or operational funds.
Q: It seems the school district has dealt with its crowding issues without building a new school, but by making renovations to existing schools. Do you expect to need a new school in the near future or do you expect these solutions to work for many years?
A: We're in the process of a number of renovation projects, additions and we're developing contract documents for a new K-4 elementary building in the district.
Q: What do you do for fun? Do you have any peculiar hobbies?
A: No, I don't do anything peculiar. I try to travel when I get an opportunity and spend as much time with my family as I can. That's probably my hobby.
Q: Where have you gone? Have you been to any unusual places?
A: I took a trip to Ireland last July. Ireland is as unusual as I get.
Q: What's the best advice you have been given about your career?
A: I think probably the best advice I was given about my career was pay attention to detail. I worked with Mr. Young here for five years and he was a great mentor. That was the best advice.
