TOPSHAM

After 44 years in education, Brad Smith is two weeks away from entering a new chapter in his life.

The Maine School Administrative District 75 superintendent, who is completing his seventh year in the role, announced his retirement in late March, effective July 1.

To say he’s worked his way up is an understatement — Smith’s first experience in education was working as a school custodian while he was in college.

“I truly knew that every job was an important job in the school system,” he said. “All of those players have to do their job and do it well. They all have to treat kids well with dignity and respect.”

Kids have always been the main focus for Smith, and at age 22, he was given his first teaching opportunity in an elementary school classroom. It was there he saw a bigger picture, realizing the importance of keeping young students engaged.

“What we know is if kids haven’t learned how to behave correctly by elementary grades, if they haven’t learned to read well by the elementary grades or if they haven’t learned to do math well, there’s very little chance they ever catch up,” said Smith. “The whole rest of the time the school system is trying to play catch up for those kids.”

Eventually he moved from the teaching ranks to administration, and was an elementary school principal in Washington before he came to Maine. He and his wife, Lynn, made the cross-country move after visiting the state on vacations.

“My wife and I actually came out here for tourist reasons and thought, ‘wouldn’t it be great to live that life,’” said Smith. “We just fell in love with the beauty, the people, and the way of life.”

So they came to Maine, where Smith first worked as an elementary school principal in the Gorham school district.

He hadn’t thought much about administration beyond that level, but encouragement from the Gorham superintendent gave him food for thought. So when the MSAD 75 assistance superintendent job opened, he decided to take a chance.

A deciding factor was the opportunity to work with Mike Wilhelm, then superintendent of the school district — Smith’s predecessor.

“I had never really had a burning desire to do that,” said Smith of his thoughts about higher administration. “But, he said to me if you ever get the chance to work with Mike Wilhelm you should do that. It’s been a delight.”

And when Wilhelm retired a year later, Smith was there to take on the new challenge. It wasn’t necessarily easy for him, someone who had spent the majority of their career working with kids.

“I think anyone who gets into education does so because they love kids,” said Smith. “It’s the best part of the job. I miss that, which is one of the downsides to not being in the building.”

Although he’s not in the school buildings on a daily basis, Smith had a new opportunity in front of him — students referred to him were often those who had made poor choices. Instead of taking a negative approach to them, he tried to meet them with compassion and understanding, relishing the chance to still connect with kids in the community.

“They’re kids, they’re learning, they make mistakes,” said Smith. “I enjoy the opportunity to get to know them and try to understand why they made the choices and help them understand what influenced them to do something clearly they knew was wrong.

“There isn’t a person walking around that hasn’t made mistakes and have regrets,” he added, “so I enjoy that.”

In a vast district with a large number of students, it’s hard to know the background of each student walking the halls. The thought of students being bullied in the district’s buildings — a challenge all districts are facing — is tough for Smith.

“I think one of the challenges for me that is most personally difficult is knowing the kind of challenges that our students face in their lives, from early grades right on through graduation,” he said. “Some of the obstacles that get placed in their way are no fault of their own, some of the adversity that gets placed in their lives. To see kids that have to struggle with the issues they struggle with, how do we find enough resources?”

Smith believes the district is unique, with regard to the amount of support it receives from the community and connections it has with local agencies to help students in need.

School security has been another challenge, though an area in which Smith has left his mark. When he started as superintendent in 2011, the district’s buildings still had unlocked doors.

Smith has connected with local law enforcement and fire departments, and the district’s communication and emergency plans were put to the test this year as it was faced with investigating five threats in a three-week period this winter.

“There’s a lot of good that came out of those experiences,” said Smith. “Part of that is having kids begin to realize they play a big role in school safety, that if they hear or see something they need to tell an adult about that. We’re glad that kids did do that.”

He said social media presents a challenge, as news travels fast and the district must put out an accurate message the first time to parents.

Looking ahead

Smith said he’s leaving the district in good hands. He has seen the work of interim Superintendent Dan Chuhta first hand, and believes he will do a great job in the position.

Though he’ll be retired, Smith will closely follow the building of the new Mt. Ararat High School, a project he shepherded from concept to groundbreaking. A chart marking off every step of the process hangs in his office and he’s exchanged about 1,700 emails with the architects of the project.

The prospect of leaving behind 44 years in education hasn’t quite set in for Smith. Boxes have been sitting in his office for two weeks, waiting to collect seven years of history leading the district.

“I can’t seem to bring myself to pulling stuff off the shelves and putting it away,” he said. “I guess emotionally it’s a little more difficult than I was anticipating.”

Smith plans to stay in Maine, although he noted that could change if grandchildren enter the picture. He has a son that lives in Portland, a daughter in Idaho and a stepson in Washington.

When the new school year begins in the fall, a trip is in the works; his wife has also spent a considerable amount of time in schools — 25 years as an educational technician.

“Lynn and I will probably plan something,” he said. “Reminiscing about the kids and staff going back could be difficult. We’ll probably find a good reason to head out somewhere for some relaxation.”