NRHEG hires interim superintendent

Educational experience was key in the hiring of Dr. Dale Carlson as the interim school superintendent for the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva School District.
“He seems to be passionate about education,” NRHEG School Board president Rick Schultz said. “He came across as a calm, effective leader.”
Carlson was one of seven applicants to replace Dr. Dennis Goodwin who took a position in Arizona on July 1. The school board interviewed the top two candidates and chose Carlson. He started on July 13.
“We were extremely impressed with the ones we didn’t interview,” Schultz said. “It was a good pool of candidates. We were relieved.”
The last seven years Carlson has been school superintendent for the Holmen School District in Wisconsin, 10 miles north of LaCrosse. “We are excited about his career in education,” Schultz said.
Although the interim positions is for one year, Carlson said he will do whatever he can to help move NRHEG forward in student and learning achievement. “To do that, in so many ways it begins with the staff. That is key,” he said. “They are doing great things in the area of professional development by putting things in place trying to continue to reach those important goals we have set out, especially in the areas of student learning and student achievement.”
Carlson admits that the NRHEG School District has learning gaps in different areas, but is identifying those and he will be helping put some plans in place. 
Carlson had made the decision late last year to look for a different experience in a different community. He said his experience in Holman was wonderful. “There are a lot of accomplishments I am very proud of,” he said.
Carlson has been in public education for 31 years; the last 21 years in administration. He was looking for an opportunity in a smaller setting.
“When the opportunity for this position came up, (I felt) right now this could be a nice match,” he said, adding that he understood it is a one-year interim position. “If they find it is a good fit and good match for the district and myself, then there is an opportunity to go beyond a year,” he said.
Schultz said Carlson has made it clear he would like to grow into the position to be considered a candidate for a further contract. “We are hoping it will potentially develop into a perfect fit,” he said.
Over the first few weeks, Carlson will be meeting and getting to know the people and begin building relationships. “It is building the trust so that they can have a certain level of trust in me in order to really help support our staff, our parents and our community as a whole,” he said.