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New La Conner School Superintendent Will Nelson cannot stress enough the value of doing one’s homework.

That goes for him as well as the nearly 600 students he and school district staff will greet this fall as La Conner transitions from on-line and hybrid instructional models employed last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

School board members chose Nelson this past spring following a rigorous selection process to succeed Rich Stewart as the district’s lead administrator. Nelson had been director of equity and student success at Arlington Public Schools.

Still, he did not arrive here facing an unforgiving learning curve. Nelson had done his homework beforehand.

“As I approached the interview process,” he told the Weekly News last Tuesday, “I spent countless hours talking with former La Conner superintendents, attending school board meetings and reading past school board agendas and minutes. I spoke with current and former district employees and analyzed district data for the past several years.”

Suffice it to say, Nelson came to La Conner with a plan. Not just one for the first day or week of school. Or even the first month.

“I have an entry plan that details my first 90-120 days or so in the district,” he said, “during which I will be listening, learning, collaborating, unifying and serving the needs of our students, families, staff and communities.

“As I meet with students, families, staff and community members,” Nelson said, “I am collecting perspectives on the state of the district – the traditions, history, celebrations, challenges, opportunities, events, issues, concerns and successes that influence or have influenced our district; to listen, learn and collaborate on the collected information in order to define and align our strategic plan; and to develop specific objectives with specific timelines for accomplishing our priorities.”

Nelson has identified a half dozen of those priorities leading into the 2021-22 school year. They are:

1. Administering a summer school program focused on relationship-building, student achievement and social-emotional learning and support;

2. Developing a district recovery plan, which is required by the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and includes a COVID-19 plan for this academic year;

3. Building relationships with Swinomish Indian Tribal Community leaders and members;

4. Addressing primary district maintenance and facility needs;

5. Analyzing all facets of La Conner Schools from the lens of equity

6. Providing support for the district’s new business manager, Brian Gianello.

Nelson said his entry plan requires him to ask staff about historical and current contexts related to their roles in the district and how they integrate with the school system as a whole.

“I’m collecting this information and will compile a report to the school board,” he said. “This is allowing me the time to meet with staff and begin building relationships. We’ve already had a school board retreat and an expanded leadership team retreat, where we’ve had time for team-building and getting to know each other better.”

In addition, he said La Conner Schools has also begun working on Universal Design for Learning, an approach to teaching and learning that gives all students equal opportunity to succeed.

“It’s a framework,” Nelson explained, “that addresses how learners are taught information, how they express that they’ve grasped material and how they’re continuously engaged and motivated to learn more.”

Another area the district leadership is embracing, said Nelson, is professional learning communities, which allow grade-level teams and content area teams to collaborate on learning while focusing on key questions addressing student mastery of course material, assessing that level of mastery and crafting responses both for those who fall short of target levels and students already deemed proficient.

That is not all.

“We will be delving into data in order to understand our collective purpose and to allow us to look at learning and teaching in terms of equity,” Nelson said.

Nelson’s homework prior to applying extended beyond classroom walls and office work spaces. He familiarized himself with all aspects of the La Conner and Swinomish communities.

“I’ve been very selective in my applications for superintendent positions,” he stressed. “The La Conner School District superintendent position spoke to my heart and mind.”

Nelson cited his status as an enrolled member of the sovereign Blackfeet Nation, located in northwest Montana and bordered by Glacier National Park to the west and Canada to the north.

“Spanning 1.5 million acres, the Blackfeet Reservation is one of the largest in the United States,” he said. “I wanted to serve and support a district with a large Native population.”

Nelson, who has begun his doctoral studies, is planning his dissertation topic around Native learning.

“The other major factor that led me to seek this position,” he said, “is the size of the district and all the wonderful attributes of the La Conner and Swinomish communities.”

His initial impressions have been overwhelmingly positive.

“The history and traditions connecting the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the La Conner community with the La Conner School District are woven tightly together, creating a richness that you will not find anywhere else in Washington state,” said Nelson.

“Everyone cares about and supports the success of every student in our communities,” he added. “This is evident from every conversation I have had since beginning the transition to serve the La Conner School District in March.”

Despite having made the district a comprehensive study, Nelson acknowledges there is much still to learn.

“There are so many wonderful parts of La Conner that I haven’t even begun to experience yet,” he said. “I am looking forward to uncovering those surprises and enjoying them.”

Nelson said he appreciates the “nimbleness” of La Conner schools.

“There is much more flexibility and adaptability than larger school systems,” he said. “I’m also enjoying the size of the staff and the number of students here. It’s so much easier to make connections with students and staff at a quicker pace here.”

Just as he has researched La Conner schools at length, Nelson can share with the district what he has learned elsewhere.

“A large part of my job was the work around equity and ensuring student success,” he said. “That translates very well to La Conner. The work around equity and student success is extremely important so that no students are left behind and that all students are uplifted and learning at high levels.

“Every personal and professional experience I’ve had has created this path for this work in La Conner,” Nelson noted. “I believe that my ancestors have been guiding me to be here to do the necessary work here in La Conner.”

His prior work has been in both the private and public sectors, a balance Nelson said has provided him perspectives and insights needed to support students no matter what academic and career paths they choose.

For his part, Nelson said he cannot wait for the calendar to reach Aug. 25, the first day all La Conner Schools staff return to campus and they begin a shared mission.

“I’m really looking forward to welcoming them back, celebrating their awesomeness, introducing new hires and setting the focus for this coming year,” he said.