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Administrator Spotlight - Dr. Steven Weber
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Involvement in sports seems to be a common inspiration for future educators. Oftentimes, time on the court leads to aspirations of working with kids.
“When I was in high school, I started working at baseball and basketball camps. Working with youth sparked an interest in becoming a classroom teacher,” said Dr. Weber. “My work with children and youth led me to enroll in the the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education.”
After graduation, he took a position as a long-term substitute teacher at Daisy Bates Elementary School in the Pulaski County Special School District before accepting his first job as an elementary teacher in the West Memphis School District.
From there, Dr. Weber joined the faculty at Richland Elementary School in the West Memphis School District, and eventually served as assistant principal at Faulk Elementary School in the same district. He joined the ADE as the K-12 Social Coordinator. In 2004, he accepted a job with the North Carolina Department of Public Education which lead to other opportunities in education in his 12 years as a North Carolina resident.
In 2016, Dr. Weber returned to Arkansas to take his current position as Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in the Fayetteville School District.
Dr. Weber been recognized as an outstanding educator throughout his career and has served on several educational boards in both NC and Arkansas. In 2019, he was the Administrator of the Year for the Arkansas Association of Curriculum Instruction Administrators.
Dr. Steven Weber, Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Fayetteville School District,
“I see Twitter as a form of professional development. In a one hour Twitter Chat, I started finding state teacher of the year and principal of the year recipients. As my professional learning network continued to grow, I grew as an educator. The questions in the Twitter Chats require me to reflect on my own experiences in education.”
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With Dr. Steven Weber
What are some of the concerns you have about your job? “One thing that keeps me up at night is the high school graduation rate. When someone says, ‘You have a 92?% graduation rate,’ think about the 8% who did not earn a high school diploma. No one sends their child to kindergarten ‘hoping’ that they earn a high school diploma.’”
What is the most challenging part of your job? “Education is changing at a rapid pace. Meeting the needs of today’s learner, while providing relevant professional development to teachers and administrators is a challenge. We continue to find new ways to teach children, and we are encouraging teachers to take risks with new instructional strategies.”
What major changes have you seen in education during your career? “Blended learning and 1:1 classrooms support student understanding. When I was a classroom teacher, we had only one computer, and it was located in the library. The addition of technology in every classroom has been a transformation in education. Also, early in my career, the goal was to teach the curriculum or teach the standards. Today’s teacher teams focus on student understanding, rather than coverage.”
What might other administrators be surprised to know about you? “Early, in my career, I was a high school and college basketball umpire. I umpired baseball games at Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UNC, Duke, NC State, and several other schools across the South. One of my favorite memories was working ten games as a fill-in umpire at Ray Winder Field for Arkansas Travelers games.”
What is the most daring thing you’ve done? “In 1998, I was participating in a Leadership Retreat with the Crittenden County Leadership Cohort. We were required to stand on top of a telephone pole and jump out to a trapeze bar.”
What’s something that amazes you? “Sunrises amaze me. I am also amazed by teachers who have mastered the art and craft of teaching. They know how to reach students, build relationships, and build on the strengths of each student. The ongoing work of teachers and the way they connect with each learner is a gift.”
What have you done that you are most proud of? “I am most proud of my family. I have a great wife who supports me as an educator. Our son recently graduated from the University of Arkansas and is employed with USA Truck. Our daughter is a senior at Fayetteville High School and will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall. We enjoy supporting our children and making memories together!”
When people look back at your life, how do you want to be remembered? “One of my goals as a leader is to give other educators a leadership platform. I would like to be remembered for giving educators the chance to serve in leadership positions, speak at conferences, lead curriculum teams, and advance to higher levels.”
