Ted Neitzke, superintendent of the West Bend School District for the past five years, announced today that he will resign at the end of the school year.
“It will be extraordinarily difficult to say good-bye to Ted,” said Therese Sizer, West Bend School District Board of Education member. “He is that rare individual who can embrace challenges and remain optimistic in his resolve to provide the best education for our children. He has faith in our students, our teachers and our community. He has this uncanny ability to reject the status quo and instead envision the greatness in our children. It was always about their futures.”
Neitzke has served the West Bend School District since 2004 in various positions. From 2004-2009, Neitzke was the principal at Badger Middle School. From 2009-2011 he served as the assistant superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and Communication before being named superintendent in 2011.
Neitzke’s accomplishments as superintendent include:
• Created budget strategies that increased program offerings and services each year
• Collaboratively developed the Education Committee with the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce
• Implemented 4-year-old kindergarten
• Planned and implemented the teacher leadership institute focusing on poverty, leadership and empathy
• Planned, promoted and passed a $22,000,000 referendum
• Collaboratively passed two bills through the Wisconsin State Legislature which were signed into law
• Collaboratively developed an onsite healthcare clinic for West Bend School District staff
• Opened Pathways Charter School
• Developed the West Bend Online Learning Academy
• Developed Strategic Improvement Process (SIP) for all sites and classrooms
• Focused on developing administrative leadership and teacher leadership
• Collaborated with Washington County schools to create countywide College and Career Fair
• Developed strong relationships with local stakeholders and businesses
“Ted tirelessly devoted himself to this county, city, our children, and this school district. I shudder to think where we would have been without Ted and his leadership in these last several years. It was inevitable, I suppose, that someone would lure him away from us. Still, we will miss him. All the best, Ted. You earned it,” said Sizer.
Neitzke is an active member of the community. He served as the Campaign Chair for the United Way of Washington County 2015 Campaign; Board President of Riveredge Nature Center; Board of Directors for Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin St. Joseph’s Hospital; Board of Directors for the Volunteer Center of Washington County; Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Economic Development Corporation of West Bend; founding member of the Washington County Workforce Alliance; Board of Directors for the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce; Board of Directors for the West Bend Public Schools Foundation; member of West Bend Noon Rotary, and past Board of Directors for the West Bend Community Memorial Library.
Neitzke will become the Chief Education Officer for CESA 6 starting July 1, 2016. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, CESA 6 serves 42 public school districts in Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Outagamie, Washington, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago counties to help district administrators, principals and teachers find solutions to the educational needs of students, classrooms, schools and school districts.
“Certainly we hate to see Ted leave because he has done a superior job managing the district over the past five years,” said Rick Parks, West Bend School District Board of Education member. “His new position presents him with an opportunity to expand his career upward and I know he will do an outstanding job.”
The Board of Education for the West Bend School District will meet next week to review the search process to fill the superintendent position.