When Josh Porter became the Fort Dodge Community School District’s new superintendent last summer, he listed goals and objectives for both the short- and long-term vision of his tenure.
Some, Porter admitted to himself, were ambitious. Others would take time and a concerted effort to accomplish.
Building a better overall climate and culture was an immediate, realistic priority for Porter. He knew the collective mentality of the district couldn’t be measured on a balance sheet or a performance report, but the 1999 Fort Dodge Senior High graduate still felt many intangible areas had to be addressed in order to inspire true growth and improvement.
“Honestly, it’s a matter of being present and visible first and foremost,” Porter said. “Knowing that I have to set a standard for our building leaders to follow. If I want our administrators, our teachers and anyone associated with the district to encourage our message moving forward, the trust factor starts with me. So that’s been a huge part of my focus (in year one): making sure we create a level of stability and sincerity at the leadership level.”