DECATUR — Mitch Wilber started his career in coaching but now he’s aimed his sights at helping students play towin at a much bigger game - the game of life.
Wilber was recently hired as Decatur’s federal programs coordinator and instructional facilitator.
His job will entail helping the school spend federal funds more efficiently, developing the school’scurriculum and providing support for teachers and principals.
Wilber grew up in Maysville and graduated from Gravette High School. He attended Crowder Community College where he was eventually named to the baseball hall of fame, and Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He graduated from the American Christian College in Tulsa, Okla., with a bachelor’s degree, andfrom the University of Arkansas with a master’s degree in school administration.
Wilber has 21 years of experience as middle school principal in the Gravette School District and has worked at thedistrict for a total of 30 years. In 2007, the middle school had the second highest combined math and literacy scores in the state, second only to a college preparatory charter school, Lisa Academy.
A coach for teachers
As instructional facilitator, Wilber will serve as a kind of cheerleader and coach for teachers, helping to make sure they have all the resources they need for success.
“My job is to help them, support them and kick some barriers out of the way ... They have hard jobs and they need necessary support to do their jobs,” he said.
Wilber said his competitive nature helped him in athletics as a high school and college student and as a coach and principal. He loves to play and he wants to win.
As he grew in his career, Wilber looked for a place he could make a bigger footprint and have a positiveeffect on more kid’s lives, first as a coach and teacher, then as a principal.
“Now the competition has gotten bigger. It’s not just win or lose the game - we have to prepare kids to win or lose at life,” he said.
In today’s global job market, Decatur students won’t just be competing with students from Gravette or Prairie Grove for a job, they will be competing withstudents from across the country and ultimately the world, he explained.
“We have to create an awareness for parents and kids to realize it’s a tough world out there - dog eat dog,” he said.
Challenges
Wilber will face some challenges in Decatur. More than 70 percent of students graduating from Decatur High School will need remediation in college, according to the 2009-2010 Arkansas Department of Education School Report Card. That rate has been even higher in the past.
The district also has the highest poverty rate in the area, with 72 percent of students qualifying for free and reduced lunches.
Wilber doesn’t accept poverty or a high rate of students learning a second language as a reason for poor academic performance.
“You don’t have to go very far to find people that beat the odds,” he said in response to a question about the statistics in Decatur.
The first step is recognition - looking at the data and realizing we can do better, according Wilber.
“Our kids are way too important to be allowed to be mediocre,” he said.
Preparation is the key
Wilber’s strategy in education is to prepare early, prepare often, evaluate, re-evaluate and sometimes work a little harder than the person down the road.
Students often have trouble seeing the bigger picture, but games and competition are a great way to get them motivated, he said.
For example, middle school kids sometimes have a hard time seeing that their grades can impact their ability to get college scholarships down the road, butthey are eager to work hard for a trip to Silver Dollar City or to beat another class in test scores.
It’s also important for students to develop aspirations and goals and to learn to believe in themselves, Wilber explained.
On a personal level
Wilber is married to his high school sweetheart, Jane.
“My wife is a big part of my success ... She has been very supportive and unselfish in helping me achieve my goals,”
The couple has two daughters who have both followed Wilber into a career in education, and several grandchildren.
In his spare time, Wilber said he enjoys playing, whether it be a formal sport such as golf or just enjoying life. He also enjoys hunting and training bird dogs. He describes himself as an outdoor person who jokes thatas an adult he still likes to stay outside until dark.
Wilber shared a quote from his hall of fame plaque at Crowder College.
“Crowder College baseball, as I look back, was one of my most valuable life and career lessons. That is, one can assemble a group of people from different points on the map with differences in life styles, skill levels and personalities, then once they all understood their role in achieving the goals and mission of the team (or any organization) and are willing to work hard ... success (winning) is inevitable,” the plaque quoted Wilber as saying.
While it won't be anything that he does personally, Wilber said he is confident the same team spirit that comes from the cohesiveness of working towards a common goal will bring his teachers' ideas, talents and skills together for success.
News, Pages 1 on 06/29/2011