Leadership Matters January 2014

Benton’s Stewart discovered passion for becoming educator

humbled to be the one to hold the title, it represents all of us that work tirelessly for the children of Illinois daily.” Those who nominated Stewart noted some major accomplishments in the Benton district since she became superintendent in 2001, including:  Keeping Benton High School ahead of the curve with regard to curriculum development to provide more opportunities for students, including implementation of the READ 180 program that has dramatically improved reading capabilities of some students by providing them with 90 minutes of reading instruction daily.  Upgrading and remodeling the district’s 40-year- old buildings to make them safer, more comfortable and to equip them with state of the art technology.

By Michael Chamness IASA Director of Communications

The path Kelly Stewart followed to become an educator is not one she would recommend to most students. She dropped out of college for a year and helped coach a junior high girls’ basketball team, an experience that changed her life. “That year allowed me to discover my passion for teaching, and then I knew what I wanted to do. It became crystal clear,” Stewart recalled. “From then on I focused on education and I had a purpose-driven life. I could not wait to go back to school, and I was in the front row of my classes. It was a powerful experience, but I wouldn’t recommend it.” It might have been an unusual path, but that experience was part of a remarkable career that culminated with Dr. Kelly Stewart, superintendent of Benton Consolidated High School District 103, being named the 2014 Illinois Superintendent of the Year. She was honored at the recent Joint Annual Conference in Chicago. Receiving this award is a tremendous honor that has flooded me with a wide range of emotions including: shock, humility, elation, and affirmation. The most powerful of these has been affirmation,” said Stewart, who has been an educator for 30 years, including the last 12 as superintendent of the Benton district. “My main goals in life have been simple: to make a difference and to make my parents proud of me. This honor is the ultimate pat on the back for a job well done and the fact that it comes from my peers gives it great significance. While I am

Kelly credits her father, the late Harry Stewart, with being her motivation for becoming an educator. He is pictured here with Kelly, her sister Laura, left, and President Barrack Obama.

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