New Chester interim schools leader: ‘Let’s move on together’

Angela Bain, a retired deputy superintendent with the S.C. Department of Education, takes over this week as interim superintendent of Chester County schools.

Bain, 57, will replace interim superintendent Keith Callicutt, who served for four months before announcing he was “not the right person for the job.”

Callicutt said he failed to help the district heal after last year’s forced resignation of Superintendent Agnes Slayman, who was released from her contract in a divided school board vote.

Last week, the board tried to quell rumorsthat it might rehire Slayman with a 4-0 vote on a motion it would not rehire a previous superintendent. The vote to hire a new law firm was also divided.

Bain, a 1976 graduate of Rock Hill High School, who has taught and been an administrator at the district and state level. She said she has been following news reports about Chester schools.

The Herald talked with Bain Thursday, a day after she was interviewed and hired for the temporary role. She talked about her expectations, her perception of Chester County schools and her plans to help a district in turmoil begin to heal.

What do you make of the situation in Chester County schools?

“Sometimes we lose focus on the children. And I think this is maybe one of those times, and we have to get back to focus on why we’re all really here . . . When these things snowball, everybody loses focus because they are too busy reading the drama.”

Why did you want the job?

“I am just not ready to retire yet. I have discovered that. This is one of those opportunities, you have a family-oriented district, it’s normally very calm and peaceful, you are doing some good things for children. I wanted to help in any way that I could.”

What do you think is needed?

“A lot of communication, I think, is needed first. Not that that wasn’t happening before, but I think there has to be a certain level of communication with lots of constituents so that we can find out what is really going on and work together.”

What do you think of the division on the school board?

“I don’t know about any of that and at this point, I don’t care. What I care about is that if there are things we need to discuss, that is fine, but we need to have a laser focus on student achievement and growth...(School board members) were very enjoyable when I spoke with them. I’m impressed with the school board and their heart for the district, the community and the children. I don’t feel a divisiveness between them, or I didn’t last night.”

What are your plans for the district?

“I have to start by listening, and I have already scheduled meetings next week to do that. That is what I will be doing most of next week, is meeting and listening and taking notes. We still have to get on with the business of running the district. We have a budget to prepare, people to hire. We’ve got a lot of work to do that is the normal work of running the district.”

Have you led other districts in crisis?

“I have a lot of experience in working with boards and being a leader in those districts. Boards are going to be in crisis on any given issue, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t resolve these issues, and they have, the boards I have worked with have.”

Do you think it’s possible for the district to get to a better place?

“Absolutely, yes, I do. This is a good district with a good reputation and there is great possibility moving forward. I do think that part of the healing process is just going to be saying OK, the past is the past, what do we have to do, what is our focus? And let’s move on together.”

This story was originally published January 30, 2016 at 2:21 PM with the headline "New Chester interim schools leader: ‘Let’s move on together’."