Carol Clarke Retires after 13 Years in Waitsburg

WAITSBURG – Carol Clarke has faced and overcome many challenges in her life, but when it comes to retiring she's already chalked it up as a "fail." The school district superintendent and elementary school principal will wrap up her 13th year and officially retire from Waitsburg on June 30, but will leave for a new job in Panama City, Panama in July.

As with most of the experiences in her life – many that could be described as difficult or unpleasant – Clarke is excited to pursue just one more opportunity for growth and service.

Clarke was born on a fifth-generation family farm in Matoon, Ill., but spent her childhood moving with the navy when her father re-enlisted shortly after her birth. She had lived in 30 addresses by the time she was 31years old (a fact she discovered while trying to adopt her sons) and said she loved the experience of seeing new places and meeting new people.

She graduated from Ray High School in Corpus Christi, Texas and says her claim to fame is that she attended high school with actress Farrah Fawcett. However, with 700 students in her graduating class, and Farrah being three years older they "didn't travel in the same circles," she said.

Clarke graduated from high school on June 1, 1967. This year, on the 50th anniversary of her high school graduation, she will give the baccalaureate closing prayer for the class that was in kindergarten the year she began teaching in Waitsburg.

"That's pretty special," she said.

The day after Clarke graduated, her parents put her on an airplane to Illinois and her dad went to Vietnam on an aircraft carrier.

Clarke said she wanted to be a special educator because she had always had good experiences in school. She saw that wasn't the case for everyone, and wanted to help others learn to accommodate and adapt. She said she was denied the opportunity because of a speech impediment that resulted from her hearing impairment.

Instead, she graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. She taught at Luke Air Force Base before working with the Department of Defense in Germany, where she taught in an American kindergarten.

She returned to the U.S. in 1976 and attended graduate school at Memphis State University, where she earned her masters of education in reading while working as a teacher in a K-12 Christian school.

She had met Stan Clarke, who was an air force officer, while in Germany, and when he returned to the U.S., they strengthened their relationship, and later married. She joined him in California and worked toward a second master's degree as a school psychologist at University of California Davis, while working as a teaching assistant at the university.

In 1979, Stan accepted a position as Grower Relations Manager for Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Grandview, Wash. Carol was hired as a reading specialist for special needs students in Grandview, which was exactly what she had wanted to do when she was denied the opportunity 10 years prior.

"It gave me so many opportunities to grow professionally and personally. I learned braille. I learned to sign. I really honed my skills in how to work with children with challenging behaviors," Clarke said.

After 10 years in Grandview, Clarke accepted a position as a teacher for the deaf and hearing impaired in the Sunnyside School District. She was later encouraged to go into administration and earned her principal credentials as well as her doctorate.

"Earning my doctorate wasn't something I did for professional advancement. It was something I did as a personal accomplishment," Clarke said. "Quite a challenging accomplishment while raising three children, a niece, and a husband," she added, laughing.

She became an administrator in the Sunnyside School District in 1996. She was offered principalship of Chief Kamiakin Elementary School in 2001, which was the year she completed her doctorate, and the year Stan accepted a position as WWCC Enology and Viticulture Instructor, in Walla Walla.

With their children out of the house, Stan and Clarke lived apart for three years, reconnecting on the weekends.

Clarke said her position was especially challenging, overseeing 32 fifth and sixth grade classrooms, with 30 students each, spread over 11 buildings. The district was very large, and the demographics were 80% Hispanic, with many speaking Spanish-only. There was a high level of poverty, as well as gang and drug issues, she said.

"What an opportunity for growth and to hone my skills in Spanish. I was blessed to be challenged like that," she said.

Clarke eventually began looking to relocate closer to Stan and was pleasantly surprised to be hired on as district superintendent and elementary school principal in Waitsburg.

Clarke said her challenges here have been very different, and include the impact of federal and state guidance over a school district, trying to maintain the level of services with diminishing resources, and declining enrollment.

What she has enjoyed most is getting to know the kids, the staff, and their families, she said.

"I think the challenge of having to deal with the loss of a loved one was made a lot easier because of the relationships that I had in a small community. You don't always have that," Clarke said, referring the passing of Stan in 2007.

When it comes to retiring Clarke said she knew she wanted to make sure the class she started with made it all the way through.

"That class was my first big decision. I had to decide to hire a second kindergarten teacher, because there were so many of them. And I wasn't ready for that yet!" Clarke said, laughing.

Clarke said that as it got closer to time for that class to graduate, she realized it would be a good time to explore new horizons and move in different directions. She was looking forward to more time to herself and being a bit more selfish, but it turns out that wasn't the plan after all.

In January, Clarke received an email from a dear friend that teaches in Panama City, whom she had visited in November, saying Clarke would be the perfect person for a job opening. The K-12 Christian school where her friend teaches was in need of a Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator, and Clarke couldn't resist the pull.

The school serves 270 students, and 23 passports are represented in the population, with many missionary and diplomat students.

"What a wonderful opportunity! I felt I could contribute to student achievement in a different way, and it's warm 24/7!" Clarke said.

Clarke's son, who recently married, will move into her Waitsburg home, and she plans to head to Panama City toward the end of July. She will move into a fully furnished apartment, and receive a stipend while there. She said she plans to rely on public transportation, a bicycle, and her feet to get around.

"It's a great opportunity, and I hope to help in any way I can," Clarke said.