Advertisement Because of his commitment to education, Deck, 78, was inducted as one of the six charter members of Onalaska High School’s Wall of Excellence in Education last week.
 |
Former Onalaska Superintendent Claude Deck was one of six honored last weekend as charter members of the Onalaska High School Wall of Excellence.
Photo by Randy Erickson |
“That was a surprise,” Deck said. “There are a lot of good people coming out of Onalaska. I feel honored and humbled.”
Deck was the Onalaska school superintendent from 1972 to 1992, when he retired after 37 years in education.
Early advice helped him be successful. “I had a professor at university tell me ‘where are you going to be in 20 years? Whatever job you’re in, look ahead. Don’t get lost in the minor details, look at the big picture.’”
Deck strived to do that during his tenure at Onalaska.
“Onalaska was in the doldrums in those years,” Deck said. “Kids were being taught in church basements. They needed someone to come in and get the district on a path for growth.”
Northern Hills Elementary was being built at the time he was hired. He told the board that if he was hired, he would make it an open concept school.
But no one knew what that was or had any idea how to run it. Deck had experienced that type of educational system while in Colorado. He said he was lucky to find a principal familiar with that format and brought him into the district. “We managed to pull off that change,” Deck said proudly.
He always looked forward. Seeing the growth of the city, Deck worked with the board and the community to buy land for the projected growth of students. He was most interested that the students grow academically as well as personally. “I came in and said we’re going to increase academic abilities. I think we did that.”
Nevertheless, extra-curricular activities were just as important, he said. “I always stuck up for the music and art programs. It’s an integral part of the curriculum. It’s a great time for kids to learn what skills and interests they have. It’s just as important to keep up with extra-curricular activities as with academics.”
Deck doesn’t think much of the No Child Left Behind Act, which was enacted after he retired. “There are good concepts there, but not enough money followed,” he said. “However, I think if you let seed money go to school districts, there are enough good minds in each district that can do good jobs without big government. Education is a state function and the feds should not be involved.”
He’s not too involved in education now. He and his wife are enjoying their retirement years. “We enjoy traveling. We’ve been overseas back and forth to Europe and around the U.S. We’re keeping up with the kids. Coleen and I enjoy our exercise at the Y; we enjoy dancing and antiquing.”
Coleen started the Antique Center in La Crosse on Third Street. She was one of seven corporate members. After he retired, he went to work for her at the Antique Center for about eight to 10 years he said. “It was payback time for me,” Deck said.
In the early days, Coleen worked as a registered nurse and raised their four daughters while he furthered his education.
“She said that we had a 90/10 relationship where she was spending 90 percent of her time raising the children and being married and I spent 10 percent of my time with the family. But I’m paying back now. Now it’s more 50/50.”
Those early days included teaching for four years at an elementary school in Beloit while finishing his master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Then he took over as principal of Summit Elementary school in La Crosse.
In 1968, he took a position with the UW-La Crosse as an instructor of elementary education. While he said he enjoyed that, he was also bored. So in 1972, he threw his hat in the ring for the Onalaska superintendent job and was hired.
Along with the open concept school format, Deck brought a few other changes with him to the superintendent job. He didn’t even have to compromise on any principles, which he said he won’t do.
Sometimes things just happen, though, even if accidentally. “When I first took over, the Onalaska Education Association put on a noon reception to introduce me and invited Coleen. She was on nurse’s duty that day. There was an unwritten rule, especially at the high school we didn’t know about; no female teachers were to wear pantsuits. When they saw Coleen show up in her pantsuit, all the gals flocked to Coleen, asking her if they could wear pantsuits. From there, all the women started wearing pantsuits. I didn’t have to make any formal rule changes. It just happened,” he laughed.
Another change he implemented was that in 1972 there were still rules that schools couldn’t hire married couples. “There was a taboo on that,” Deck said. “I changed that. We hired married couples.”
Deck strongly believes everyone should have a support system, whether married or colleagues or friends.
“Always seek support of your colleagues and community,” he said. “You can’t go it alone; you’ve got to have support. Individuals need the support of their own families.”
In addition to his family, the Onalaska American Legion is part of his support system as he fulfills his service goals to his community. He serves as honor bearer and as chaplain (not ordained). He is also quartermaster, ordering flags and uniforms for the post and takes inventory of the contents of the buildings.
“Service is my goal,” he said. “To serve the community I am in.”
To that end, he is a decorated veteran of the Korean War, has earned a Purple Heart, a Combat Infantryman Badge and a Korean Service Medal with two bronze campaign stars.
modred49 wrote on Jul 20, 2009 6:02 PM: