Hugs and well-wishes awaited Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Haworth at the end of the special school board meeting Monday.
Haworth publicly announced his resignation at the meeting, effective July 31. He will be taking a vice presidency position with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in Kansas City, Mo., and will be in charge of the Champions of Character Initiative.Haworth was named Warsaw's superintendent on Feb. 20, 2006, replacing interim superintendent Ralph Bailey, who was hired after the resignation of Dr. Dave McGuire.
According to the NAIA Web site, the "Champions of Character program is designed to instill an understanding of character values in sport and provide practical tools for student-athletes, coaches and parents to use in modeling exemplary character traits. ...
"The NAIA Champions of Character program is an educational outreach initiative which emphasizes the tenets of character and integrity, not only for NAIA college students, but for younger students, coaches and parents in our communities."
In announcing his resignation, Haworth thanked the board for providing him and his family the opportunity to serve as the superintendent of schools.
"It is with a heavy heart that I submit my resignation, effective July 31, 2008," he said.
Ron Yeiter, school board president, thanked Haworth for his two years of dedicated service. Haworth's enthusiasm and style provided Warsaw Schools with many positives and very few negatives, Yeiter said. The community is losing a great asset, and the board regrets losing Haworth, Yeiter said.
"I'm very, very sorry to see (you go)," said Dan Robinson, school board vice president.
Asked what will happen next to find Haworth's replacement, Yeiter said the board will probably initiate a search that will be very intensive. The board will work with the university search team on the process, as the board did in finding Haworth.
Warsaw Schools is on an upswing so that may be very appetizing for superintendent candidates, Yeiter said. The circumstances also are different now than when Warsaw looked for a candidate and found Haworth. Academics at Warsaw Schools are up, Yeiter said, and the community has more pride in its schools.
"Rob has set the bar pretty high," Yeiter said.
Asked after the meeting why he is leaving, Haworth said there were many reasons, including his dissertation work in getting his doctorate. That work asked why interscholastic athletics exist. He thought it was to help build character into students. However, Haworth said, he found that unless coaches, administrators and schools purposely incorporate that into their practice plan, it may not show up. Also, in terms of character development, the culture of sports is on a decline, he said. By taking the position with the NAIA, Haworth said it allows him to help make a difference.
"It was a chance to change the culture of sports that sounded appealing to me and my family," Haworth said. He has a background in sports, having been a player and a coach.
However, he said, he will miss Warsaw and its people.
During his tenure at Warsaw Schools, Haworth said, Warsaw Schools, as a team, has the distinction of being one of six Indiana school systems that made Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years on the ISTEP+. With WCS making AYP for a second consecutive year, the school system is no longer classified as a Title I school corporation under "corporation improvement."
Haworth also helped oversee WCS's current building project that will get classrooms out of janitor closets, basements and stages.
Haworth said Monday his regret in leaving will be that he won't see that building program happen.
