Conrad Farner's Statement on Resignation

Greenfield Superintendent Conrad Farner, whose resignation was approved by the Greenfield School Board on Monday, issued the following statement about leaving for a position with the Cedarburg School District:

"I am happy to report that the School Board approved my resignation from the District last night, effective at the end of the day on January 15. I am extremely excited to be joining the Cedarburg School District as their new Director of Human Resources. I have dedicated my professional career to building the most dedicated, caring and compassionate teams of educators and look forward to promoting and maintaining such teams in Cedarburg.

"I am so proud of the administrators, teachers and support staff we have assembled and nurtured here in Greenfield. Over the past nine and one half years, Greenfield has become an amazing place to work and learn. The Greenfield community passed four consecutive referendums, allowing for facilities that are second to none, including an incredible Natatorium, a beautiful Performing Arts Center and a state-of-the-art High School. We have also made significant facility improvements to our elementary schools and the middle school.

"We have managed millions of dollars of budget reductions while still offering quality learning experiences for our students. We have implemented energy saving initiatives that have avoided costs and we have managed budgets in the most fiscally responsible manner. The fund balance has almost doubled, short-term borrowing has not been necessary for years and the taxpayers saved millions of dollars as we came in under budget the past six consecutive years.

"We have upgraded technology hardware and software to modernize and streamline operations. We are effectively using technology to improve learning and efficiency...and I recognize it will always be a struggle to have our technology exactly where we want it. We stopped double-data entry that teachers used to have to do with our old grading/assessment software and are utilizing new hardware and software whenever and wherever our resources allow.

"Curriculums have been significantly revised to meet state and national standards, ensuring rigor and scaffolding across grade levels. Formative assessments are being used to guide instruction and the District has embarked on a Balanced Assessment initiative that will help teachers monitor student progress and encourage students to actively monitor their progress. We have invested heavily in professional development for our teachers, making sure that all Greenfield educators are well-versed in the most effective instructional practices in both literacy and mathematics. Teachers new to the District now participate in an intensive three year program of coursework to ensure they are up to speed with Greenfield practices and expectations. All Greenfield teachers and administrators have been trained in Creating Independence through Student-owned Strategies (CRISS) with the goal again to have students take more ownership for their learning.

"We have hired well over half of the teaching staff and the entire administrative team, ensuring educator teams that consist of the most dedicated, intelligent, passionate, creative and collaborative individuals that any district could hope to have. The expectations of the teachers, administrators and staff are high in this District, and the shared vision and commitment is paying off with improved student learning. The passion for meeting the needs of our students has never been stronger and the commitment to helping every student gain a sense of belonging, mastery, independence and generosity is remarkable.

"I take great pride in knowing I served the students and families of Greenfield to the best of my ability and am leaving the District in much better shape than when I arrived. I appreciate all of the work my colleagues have done to serve Greenfield and support each other. It has been a wonderful experience to be part of such an outstanding learning community."