Administrator Spotlight:
Valerie King
Director of Academic Support and Gifted Programs, Siloam Springs School District
Valerie King, Director of Academic Support and Gifted Programs for the Siloam Springs School District, says she loved everything about school as a child. As a result, she has always wanted to be an educator. She says, "When I began my career, my husband was in the Marine Corps. We moved a lot, so I had the opportunity to teach in several different states. It was a great experience, but after our daughter was born, we decided to move back home to Arkansas." Upon coming home, she was hired as an elementary teacher in Siloam Springs by Dr. Pat Hastings, who was actually her teacher when she was in elementary school. She was an elementary teacher for several years, and then became a GT teacher. A few years later, she became the Director of Gifted Programs for the district. "Eventually, with Dr. Hastings' encouragement, I obtained licensure in administration and became an assistant principal at our middle school. I worked in that capacity for several years while continuing the GT director role. Currently, I serve as the Director of Academic Support and Gifted Programs for our district." Valerie says her favorite part about her job has always been in building relationships with students and their families. "It brings me great joy to see former students who have grown up and have chosen to either stay in our community or come back to our community to live and raise their children." The most challenging part of her job is always feeling the urgent need to do more. "I want every student to achieve at high levels and to have options when they leave high school. Because of this, I’m always searching for better ways to support our administrators, teachers, and students." To those considering a similar career, she counsels, "you must have a servant’s heart, you must like kids, and you must be willing to do hard things. Although this profession isn’t for the faint of heart, it is so rewarding to see the positive impact teachers can have on the lives of their students." She also says it is important to network, even with people outside of your profession. "As someone who is more introverted than extroverted, I will forever be a work in progress in honing my networking skills." Valerie says of all the changes she's seen in education over her career, she loves the current focus in education on collaboration, stating "We work better together!" 7
