Superintendent stepping down
By THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN
Larry E. Reider told the Kern County Board of Education Tuesday that he will step down as Superintendent of Schools effective June 30.
Reider, who became superintendent of schools in 1999, forged partnerships with private, public and not-for-profit groups to launch initiatives that did everything from helping second- graders read to converting Kern's bus fleet to natural gas. He placed special emphasis on having children reading and ready to learn when they started school.
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REIDER'S LEGACY
Among the projects Reider launched during his tenure as Superintendent of Schools:
Community Reading Project: Volunteers work with second grade students struggling to master reading. Now in its 10th year, more than 325 Community Reading Project volunteers are working with students at nearly 30 school sites.
Do The Math: A twice weekly TV program launched in 2003 where teachers help students do math problems on and off-the-air.
Ready to Start: A six-week course focuses on instructional basics and social skills building designed to make students ready to learn when they enter kindergarten.
Learning Center: Helps teachers bring technology to the classroom and develop skills in students to help them thrive in the workplace.
Compressed Natural Gas buses: Began switching school buses from diesel to clean burning CNG. To date about half the fleet is CNG powered, and each year more high-mileage diesel buses are replaced with CNG.
Academic competitions: Started contests that draw participation from some 30,000 students a year.
Source: Kern County Schools
"There are no words to fully describe the rich and rewarding career I have had in Kern County education," Reider said. "Particularly rewarding has been seeing former students -- many who overcame obstacles to learning when they came into my classroom -- become productive and contributing adults." Many of his students went on to careers in education and are working as teachers, principals and other posts in Kern's schools.
In all, Reider spent 44 years in public education as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent of business, school district superintendent, associate county superintendent of schools and Kern County Superintendent. He joined the office of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools in 1984.
"To him, a good day is one that makes life and learning better for our children," said said Associate County Superintendent of Schools Christine L. Frazier. That's one of many reasons why he truly will be missed."
The Board of Education is expected to name Reider's replacement at its June 9 meeting. That appointment will be effective through December 2010.
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