| Ronneberg receives prestigious award from U of M |
|
|
| Wednesday, 27 May 2009 | ||
|
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Staff writer A Spring Lake Park School District 16 administrator has been selected as a national leader in education. Assistant Superintendent Jeff Ronneberg recently received the University of Minnesota Excellence in Education Leadership Award.
Ronneberg was one of 25 selected nationwide for the honor. He received the award April 17 at a ceremony at the McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis. The event was sponsored by the College of Education and Human Development and the Alumni Association. “It’s never about one person,” Ronneberg says about receiving the award. Rather, he credits staff, fellow administrators and the community working together to move education forward. The University Council for Educational Administration annually invites university members to select a distinguished school administrator for the award. The council is an international group of research universities committed to fostering leaders in education and their practices. He’s a visionary Ronneberg has been a force “that has resulted in a coherent set of learning experiences for students as they move from childhood through adolescence,” presenter Jennifer York-Barr, U of M professor and director of graduate studies, said at the ceremony. In her remarks, she quoted a dozen comments from his staff and co-workers who described him as a visionary, passionate about his work, caring, confident and “extraordinarily smart and reflective.” “Jeff walks the talk and leads by example, modeling his core values,” an anonymous staff member wrote. “He inspires us, challenges us and supports us to be better educators.” For Ronneberg, the best part of his job is visiting the district schools and talking to students and staff. Budgets reductions that affect kids and staff are the least enjoyable. “That part is not fun and is always a challenge,” he said. Ronneberg started in District 16 as principal at Woodcrest Elementary in 1998, where he remained for five years. He later was named director of teaching and learning and, ultimately, advanced to the district’s assistant superintendent. He is slated to take the reigns as superintendent of District 16 after Superintendent Don Helmstetter retires at the end of this calendar year. “I really believe leading in partnership is the foundation of how I work with people,” he said. Ronneberg credits his father, Manfred Ronneberg, for his interest in education. He teaches math in Willmar and has a great relationship with kids, Ronneberg said. In his fourth year in college and just one course short of receiving a degree in sociology (he had planned to go into law), Ronneberg switched his major after working with kids and seeing the difference he could make in their lives. “I wanted to make a difference in kids – like my dad,” he said. Before coming to District 16, he taught fifth and sixth grades and coached high school basketball in the Eden Prairie school district. He next spent one year as dean of students at Oak Grove Intermediate, a school of 1,900 students. Ronneberg earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Augsburg College in Minneapolis and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Mankato State University. He holds a doctorate of education degree in policy and administration from the University of Minnesota. In addition to his duties at SLP, he is an adjunct instructor at the University of Minnesota, where he co-teaches a class called administration of teaching and learning. Also, he is an adjunct teacher for Capella University, an online university where he teaches two classes, innovations and leadership and leading innovation. “Teaching these courses grounds me in staying current,” Ronneberg said. In his free time, Ronneberg enjoys reading books on education, fiction and mystery novels. He especially likes to read about historical figures, Martin Luther King being one of his favorites. But at the top of his list, he most enjoys spending time with his family. Ronneberg resides in Lino Lakes with his wife, Jill, and two children, Sam, 9, and Sydney, 7. Although it’s been a while since Ronneberg has taught school in District 16, he does make numerous classroom visits. When people ask if he misses being in the classroom and working with kids, his answer is: “I think everything I do is about kids,” he said. Elyse Kaner is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
||
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|