A tough decision

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

This Dr. Seuss quote is used regularly at elementary schools, and it seems fitting Carol Farver mentions the quote as she enters her final few months with the Newton Community School District. After 13 years with the district — all of them as the Aurora Heights Elementary School principal — Farver has announced she’s retiring from the district at the end of the school year.

The enthusiastic Farver, who can be seen on any given school day in interaction with some of Aurora’s 336 (or so) students, seems to have the same energy of any of the teachers at her school. While her life will certainly change in some ways once she retires, it doesn’t seem likely she’ll simply be sitting around much.

“This era isn’t over until the middle of June, and I plan to give it my best right to the end,” Farver said. “I don’t think I’ll ever leave education completely. It’s like a calling, and something that gives great reward. There may be something less demanding of time and energy that comes along that I would consider, but right now I don’t have anything specific planned.”

The 1968 Newton Senior High School graduate married Tom Farver, NHS ‘66, in 1970, and the two hopscotched from Maine to Wyoming and several other states as they raised their children (Melissa, Jason and Joshua) and Farver began her total of 15 years in the classroom.

The family returned to Iowa in 1997, with Farver teaching fifth grade for one year at Colfax-Mingo, and her first two principal jobs were in North Polk and at Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcolm. Coming home to Newton in 2002, Farver became only the fourth Aurora Heights principal in the history of the school, following Daisy Santon, Rex Miskimins and Duane Hovick.

“I think that says a lot about the school being a great place to spend time as a principal — and why I never left,” she said.

In 2013, Farver became one of only 19 Iowans appointed to serve on the Council on Educator Development. But as their three children became adults and gave them what is now 14 grandchildren, the call to spend more time with the family grew stronger.

Farver said as the 2014-15 school year rolled along, she was wavering between retiring this year and waiting one or two more years.

“I really didn’t make up my mind until after Christmas and some serious praying for guidance,” she said. “I’ll be 65 by the time I retire.”

More leisure time is something Farver looks forward to, although she says her personality won’t allow her to be bored.

“I have some dates to go on, travel to accomplish with Tom, tea parties to hold and cookies to bake with grandchildren,” she said. “I might dust off some old hobbies and find some new ones, too.”

Farver said there are many talented educators in central Iowa — especially in Newton. “I’ve also always wanted to be tuned in to the right time to leave,” she said. “New blood and new ideas are needed from time to time to stay fresh. There are so many capable aspiring principals out there waiting for their chance to lead, and I’m excited to see how that can work for Aurora Heights.”

Along the way, Farver has dealt with the same financial and curriculum issues her teachers were dealing with, and watched firsthand as young teachers “grew up” as educators. She said she learned many important concepts about students, such as “forgiveness is a powerful force.”

Teachers should be the ones making decisions about school policies, Farver said.

“Who has better ideas than those who teach every day?” Farver asks. “One of my personal ‘fixes’ would be to go to year-round school as a state. We could help eliminate school starts and stops and summer loss, and we could also avoid the Iowa State Fair conundrum by making time around the fair during one of the four- or five-week breaks.”

Farver has talked to retired educators who told her the process is bittersweet.

“It’s given me great joy and satisfaction to be a part of the school system from which I graduated,” she said. “ It’s been a very difficult decision to retire, because I really love what I do.”

Several of Farver’s colleagues were asked to say what they liked about working with the 32-year veteran. Paula Klosterboer, June Clute and Tim Trier decided to submit a poem that was read to Farver at a board meeting a few years ago:

“What makes a good leader?”

A Found Poem

It’s ethics and honesty, integrity and compassion.

It’s backbone and relationships, and appreciation, too.

It’s organization and decisiveness, strength and motivation.

It’s humor and humility, and visionary, as well. It’s positive and focused, collaborator and listener.

It’s supportive and affirming, and motivator, to boot.

It’s agile and flexible, perceptive and intelligent.

It’s appropriate and timely, and present, for sure.

It’s being in charge … not in control; desire to serve … not to impress.

You may not always agree …but you can respect.

Now that’s a good leader!