It’s with a heavy heart that Beaver Area School District bids adieu to Dr. Carrie Rowe, who has been the district’s superintendent for the past six years. Dr. Rowe has accepted an appointment from Governor Tom Wolf to become the Director of the Bureau of School Support with the Pennsylvania Department of Education where she will be overseeing the work of the Division of School Improvement, Division of Student Services, Division of Charter Schools, and the Division of Planning.

Dr. Rowe joined the Beaver Area faculty in 1999 as a Spanish teacher before becoming the middle school principal, assistant superintendent, and finally the superintendent in 2016

Though such an opportunity means that it’s time for her to go, Dr. Rowe has had many pleasant memories during her time at Beaver Area, but one, in particular, is her favorite.

“During the first year of the pandemic, our teachers did a lot of work quietly behind the scenes. They met in the cafeterias to pack meals to send to distribution points throughout the community. Some of the teachers went to the meal distribution points just so they could be friendly and familiar faces for students. They went to students' homes and stood outside to surprise and congratulate students who were selected for the National Honor Society. Elementary teachers, whose students missed them terribly, read bedtime stories via Zoom, created virtual field trips, and gave their personal time to offer unique weekend virtual opportunities,” Dr. Rowe shared.

And it wasn’t just about elementary students: “Teachers (and community members) ‘adopted a senior’ before graduation and then showered them with personalized gifts after our socially distanced graduation. Every step of the way, our teachers showed how much they exemplified the Beaver Area ethos of building strong adult-student connections. I could not have been more proud as a Superintendent of how our teachers worked together during this difficult time,” Dr. Rowe said.

As with any job, there are always the less desirable aspects. Dr. Rowe admitted the two things she won’t miss about being a district superintendent: making decisions on weather delays and the division in public meetings.

“I will be happy not to get road condition reports at ‘o'dark thirty’ in the morning where I am advised about whether or not in-person instruction should be delayed or canceled,” Dr. Rowe expressed. “I'll be happy the next time that it snows all night long not to make a decision that at least half of the community will hate.”

As for the division in public meetings, Dr. Rowe stated, “I will also not miss the public meetings where I had to witness people being unkind to each other. Right now the issue is the efficacy of mask-wearing, before that, the issue was about equity, diversity, and inclusion, and before that, it was something else. It is clear to me that there will always be disagreements about the best way to move forward, but it is disturbing when people allow their arguments to devolve into tearing down the character of their opponent. I will not miss this part of my job at all. I'm pretty sure we could all use a lesson from a kindergarten teacher about how to be more kind.”

Wise words from a wise woman.

What she will miss, however, is the meaningful interactions with people in the district.

“I will miss the daily interactions with the people of the district—the teachers, the administrators, support staff, and students have made this district feel like home for the past 22 years,” Dr. Rowe explained.

After Dr. Rowe’s departure from the district, Beaver Area will welcome back Dr. John Hansen, who will serve as an interim superintendent until Dr. Rowe’s replacement can be found. Dr. Hansen was principal of Beaver Area High School from 1994 until 2004, at which point he became superintendent of the district until 2016. Dr. Hansen is expected to serve as interim superintendent through the end of the school year.

The district’s school board is currently working with a consulting firm in an effort to find a permanent superintendent to act in the role by July 1. Dr. Rowe begins her new position with the Department of Education today.

Thank you for the time and effort that you’ve given Beaver Area School District, Dr. Rowe! We’ll miss you!