Q&A: Portales' new superintendent talks background, work

Editor’s Note: This is one in a continuing series of interviews with local officials. Sharon Rowley was recently hired as the new superintendent for the Portales Municipal School district, succeeding Johnnie Cain who is retiring. She has previously worked in the Portales district and is currently principal at Fort Sumner schools.

Q: Tell me about your background, who you are, and how you got here.

A: I moved to Portales in 1986 to go to school and to go to Eastern New Mexico University and got my degree there.

I started teaching, I spent one semester in Hobbs and then my husband and I decided to get married and moved back to Portales and then just started working at Portales schools.

Q: Now that you’re the superintendent, how do you plan to engage parents and the community in the decision-making process?

A: One of the first things that I talked to the board about wanting to do, before taking any action at all, I really want to listen and parents are a big part of that.

We talked about multiple ways that I can go out and sort of gauge a baseline of where everybody thinks we are and that goes for parents as well as staff, everybody.

I want to start getting their input. How are things going? What do we need? What would get you more involved? What are you liking in the schools?

When parents feel welcome, then they’re more likely to be involved. I think the first step to that is just really aligning that communication.

Q: How do you support and advocate for students with special needs or disabilities?

A: One thing I’ve done over here (Fort Sumner) that I hope to be able to do over in Portales as well, especially as the kiddos get older, is getting them in the job field.

We’ve done some job training and worked with, you know, all the different state liaisons. So I’ve got some kids even being paid to do job training and to do jobs while they’re still in school. And that’s something I’d like to continue at Portales.

Q: What strategies will you implement to recruit and retain high-quality teachers?

A: I think the biggest thing there is just making sure that you have a high-quality district. People like to work for someone that is good at what they do.

I’m a real people person and I feel like Portales has always been an outstanding district. Attainment is, let’s be honest, an issue all over the state and United States. So it’s not a problem I can fix on my own immediately.

I know when that school in that district is winning and they are doing good at everything, they’re striving to do better, and it’s a great atmosphere, then everyone communicates and people want to stay. To me that’s the biggest thing: do you want to go to work just like we want the kids to want to go to school?

If the adults want to come to work and they’re excited about their job, they’re more likely to stay with you.

Q: What about the district appealed to you and made you want this job?

A: It’s home. Portales is my home. I have spent basically the major part of my career there.

I’ve always joked and called Fort Sumner my retirement job because I could have retired. But, my home is there (in Portales), my family is there, that is my home district.

I have a lot of pride in Portales schools, and the biggest thing to me plays into the parents wanting to be a part and the staff wanting to be a part. If I want to be there, they want to be there.

It is an outstanding district. You won’t find anything better, and it’s a profound privilege to serve alongside some of those dedicated staff members there and we have an exceptional community.

Q: What are some big initiatives on your agenda?

A: I would like to sort of create an avenue for administration to grow people up in the district.

Right now, there are many ways that you can go get different certifications and things like that, that maybe not everybody’s aware of.

Used to, you had to go to school. I would really like to create almost a principal pipeline or an administrative avenue that would bring those educators along that are interested in administration, without fully committing yet.

The job itself is just a job. Leadership is what matters. If we could build some of those leaders and be a support to them and grow our own.

I just think that things have changed in the landscape of education and I would like to make it more available to people. That’s big on my list … to really love on them and train them, really care for them so that they’re ready.

Q: Johnnie Cain said it’s his understanding that you’ll meet with the board next month. What’s going to happen at that meeting?

A: We are planning to do some things together. Mr. Cain is great and is going to be there for me as well.

I feel like we’re going to do some things all throughout the spring to make sure that it’s not just a jolted entry in July (when Cain retires).

— Compiled by Landry Sena, the Staff of The News