Reed named Superintendent of the Year for District 8

By: 
Kate Wehlann, Staff Writer

Salem Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Lynn Reed is a busy lady. 

On top of all the duties that come with leading the largest school in the county, she’s also taken on a variety of leadership roles over the years in education at district and state levels. She’s the district’s representative for the State Superintendent Supervisory Council, where they communicate closely with State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick, and a member of the Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association board since 1999 and was president from 2014-16. She is currently the ISRSA vice president for the Southern Superintendent Study Council and serves as co-chair for the Align Southern Indiana Kindergarten Readiness Team. 

Her peers have recognized her hard work and she was voted Superintendent of the Year for District 8 for 2018.

“I was very surprised and humbled,” she said. “We have 34 [school] districts in District 8 and I’m very honored to be selected for this … It’s nice when your peers recognize you. The public sees me at ballgames and board meetings, but there is more this job entails.”

District 8 starts along Brown and Bartholomew Counties and runs down to the Kentucky-Indiana state line.

Reed said she believes a combination of her involvement with the aforementioned organizations and her efforts to write and receive the first Safe Room FEMA grant in the state led to her being chosen. 

“People tend to remember when you’ve been in leadership at state organizations or do something unusual,” she said.

Assistant Superintendent Kim Thurston agreed.

“The Safe Room at Bradie Shrum is a significant accomplishment in my mind,” he said. “She worked on the grant and pursued it for at least three years. It was a very difficult process requiring persistence and perseverance on her part.”

He added the school’s 1:1 initiative to Reed’s list of school accomplishments. 

“Beginning with and completing the middle school this year, we move to the high school next year and then the upper elementary grades the following year,” he said. “It’s required significant planning and teacher in-service, guided by Dr. Reed.”

Reed is also active on the Washington County Growth Partnership Board and introduced Mainstream Fiber to the group a few years ago. This contribution has also allowed more access to reliable fiber-optic internet service both in the Salem district and West Washington’s.

While the award is nice, it’s not why Reed has spent almost 11 years at Salem Community Schools. It’s the kids. “My favorite, favorite day of the whole year is the first day of school,” she said. “Some people say their birthday or Christmas, but for me, it’s the first day of school and has been since I was a child. It’s a new opportunity for the kids, a fresh start. The slate is wiped clean for students and teachers. My second-favorite day is the last day of school. We all go out and wave to the kids as they get on the buses and leave.”

Read the full story in today's issue of The Salem Leader.

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