Decker is starting his tenure at WUSD under a bizarre series of circumstances, and is preaching patience and community
Jeremy Decker never planned on being a superintendent, let alone the superintendent of a district as large as Windsor or picking up the reins in the midst of a learning revolution brought on by a global pandemic, and yet, here he is.
“With regard to pursuing the superintendency, I never intended to become a superintendent. My passion initially was centered around curriculum and instruction. This passion led me to accepting an assistant superintendent position in Cloverdale,” said Decker.
Decker is a Sonoma County native and a graduate of Elsie Allen High School in Santa Rosa. He was a basketball star in high school and college, and got his degree and teaching credential in biology from Sonoma State University. He served as a middle school and high school science teacher and an athletic director before receiving a master’s degree in education leadership from Northern Arizona University.
He served as an instructional coach and curriculum coordinator and an assistant principal in the Highley School District in Gilbert, Arizona, before returning to Sonoma County to take the job as vice principal and then principal at Washington Middle School in Cloverdale in 2013.
In 2014 he had just made the leap to assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction when he was tapped to step in as acting superintendent for the departing Steve Jorgensen. He was then awarded the top spot permanently.
“When Superintendent Steve Jorgensen left Cloverdale for the superintendency in Windsor, I happened to be in a position where I was needed to provide some consistency of leadership in Cloverdale,” he said. “In many ways, it was circumstance that led me to becoming superintendent in Cloverdale initially. I was lucky that I was afforded the opportunity to grow and learn in Cloverdale.”
Learning the ropes in Cloverdale
Decker took over the top spot in Cloverdale in 2014 and held the position for six years, before taking the job in Windsor on July 1. Short tenures are not uncommon for superintendents, and his stint in Cloverdale was longer than most, but his departure was still a difficult one. He credits his time there with the many valuable lessons he’ll be bringing to Windsor.
“I loved being the superintendent in Cloverdale,” he said. “The staff and community were fantastic, and they really afforded me the opportunity to grow into the role of superintendent over my first few years,” he said, adding that some of his proudest accomplishments include transitioning the district to 1:1 technology, increasing salaries for teachers and classified staff by over 20% during his tenure, creating an elementary program that afforded third through sixth grade students the ability to become proficient in technology, engineering and music and increasing electives at the middle school and high school.
But his most valuable lesson was about how to interact with others. “I learned that it is often better to listen than to speak, as you learn so much more and are able to make better decisions because you then actually understand the issues,” he said.
Finding his place in Windsor
While he wasn’t necessarily looking to leave Cloverdale, Windsor had appealed to him for some time, as he saw in their philosophy a kindred spirit of sorts.
“Many superintendents are constantly looking for their next position regardless of fit or skillset; I am not one of those superintendents,” he said. “When I commit to something, I do so because I believe that I can have a positive impact, and I will not rest until that positive impact is realized.
“For many years, I had observed the Windsor Unified School District from afar,” he continued. “I paid attention to the culture, values, the board and the community. I discussed the position with numerous people, whom I respect greatly, who had experience and/or direct knowledge of the happenings within the school district. Based upon these observations and conversations, I felt that my skillset and values were in perfect alignment with all that the Windsor Unified School District might be looking for in its superintendent.”
Once he read the job listing his decision was made. “Based on the vacancy announcement that was posted, the board was looking for a candidate who valued relationships as five out of the seven descriptors of a successful candidate pertained to how well the candidate could work with people,” he remembered. “Relationship building is at the core of what I do. My style of leadership may not work everywhere, as some districts do not value the building of relationships. However, Windsor definitely does. Because of this fact, I felt that the district and I were a great fit.”
An unprecedented time
However, Decker is coming to the district at a challenging time. In addition to the ravages of previous years’ natural disasters, we are now in the midst of a global pandemic, which will require brand new ways of teaching and learning. And, like all districts, WUSD is facing budget challenges as it operates with a functional deficit. Decker is ready to face these challenges, but he acknowledges it’s a big ask out of the gate.
“Short term, successfully implementing distance learning will be a challenge. There is a reason that we normally hold in-person classes … they are better for student learning. We are doing everything in our power to make distance learning successful, but nothing can replicate learning in person,” he admitted. “Long term, balancing the need to ensure that our staff is adequately compensated versus the need to rectify the structural deficit that currently exists in Windsor. We will need to take a close look at all current programs and positions to make sure that what is in place is truly making an impact on student learning and outcomes.”
Because of these unique challenges, Decker says the most important thing for everyone to focus on this year is patience, and he includes himself and his office in that.
“Administration is going to need to have patience with our teachers as distance learning is completely new to every teacher,” he said. “We are essentially asking every one of our teachers to relive their first year teaching this year. Teachers are going to have to have patience with their students as they will not be as capable of staying engaged when learning on a computer screen. Parents are going to need to have patience with both teachers and their children as neither will be perfect in their roles in the upcoming year. What we are trying to accomplish with distance learning is extremely difficult, and while I know that we will all be doing our best, there will be bumps in the road.”
More about the man
Decker, like anyone, has likes and dislikes about the job he does.
“My favorite thing about my job is working with people to solve difficult problems so that student outcomes can be improved,” he said. “The toughest thing about my job is having a budget that is finite. Just like everyone else, I want to add support positions, and pay my staff extremely well. Unfortunately, I am also the steward of the budget, along with the board, and often have to make difficult decisions that cut services or don’t allow me to give the increases to salary that I would like to give.”
He also has a unique history of helping out our four-legged friends.
“I think many people would find it surprising that I have six dogs and three cats,” he said with a laugh. “My wife and I did dog and cat fostering for many years, and we sometimes couldn’t let certain fosters go to new families. While we have found homes for over 80 dogs, and 12 cats, there were some that stole our hearts and became part of our family.”
Decker also was a victim of the Tubbs Fire in 2017, and his house in the Mark West area was a total loss. While he has recently moved back in, the house is still not completed, and he and his family are currently living in the unfinished basement while the main home is being built. He has to use his cell phone as a hot spot to work from home as he doesn’t have Wi-Fi yet, and they get power from a generator as their PG&E connection hasn’t been finished either.
Despite these difficulties, he believes his experience has given him a good perspective on being a leader during a disaster.
“With regard to disaster management, if I have learned anything, it is most important that a leader remains calm in the midst of a storm … and provides clear communication to all constituencies. It has been a difficult few years in Sonoma County, but we are all resilient and will come out on the other side better than before,” he finished.
