FAIRMONT - In his first week as superintendent at Fairmont Area Schools, Joe Brown considered a proposal from the city for the William Budd School site, interviewed seven candidates for assistant principal at the high school, oversaw construction work at two buildings and reviewed plans for an addition at Five Lakes Elementary.
His schedule is packed, but Brown is no stranger to keeping busy.
He came directly from his old job as superintendent at Grand Meadow, where he also served as grades 5-12 principal and taught advanced placement government.
If his name seems familiar, it might be because he has been active in seven careers throughout his life, ranging from rock 'n' roll drummer, to Iowa state senator, to principal in three Minnesota school districts - Barnum, Le Sueur-Henderson and Austin.
His path has led Brown to have a unique view of education, directed by a mix of his experience with students and staff; time as a blue-collar machinist; and from his extensive political career, which includes being married to DFL state Rep. Robin Brown. He also has raised six children.
Brown believes his entry to the Fairmont district is perfect, with current and future referendum projects bringing the district state-of-the-art facilities that will allow it to excel in the future.
His short- and long-term goals for the district reflect a desire to see it through what promises to be a difficult financial period, with government aid to schools likely to be frozen for the next five years. He also promises a lot of a hard work and heavy doses of enthusiasm.
Brown said his first goal is to get kids back to school on time - making sure all construction projects are completed before September - and having a new assistant principal on board and ready to go.
Other than that, Brown wants everyone - staff, students and faculty - to become advocates for the district; becoming so infectious in their enthusiasm that enrollment increases, thereby increasing state aid.
While working at Grand Meadow, Brown saw enrollment in the 350-student district increase through three specific plans: becoming the first district to require four years of math and science, instituting a pay-for-performance compensation plan for teachers, also known as Q-comp, and outfitting every second-grader with a laptop computer.
While increasing enrollment is his ultimate plan for Fairmont, he is not interested in creating a countywide merger of schools.
"I think it is best little kids - elementary students - stay as close to home as possible," he said.
What he would consider, however, is something his previous district is starting next year - having one superintendent oversee several districts, which allows the districts to remain independent, but share administration costs.
The cost of running a school is an issue Brown has a definite opinion about: With the increase in vendor costs - heat, water, health insurance - it is impossible for school districts to continue operating without funding increases.
"Every school district in the state will go belly up in five years unless something drastic happens," he said. "We need to to everything we can to make sure things are funds as efficiently and effectively as possible."
And he means everything. One of his main areas of emphasis is school attendance. If students are in school, they are more likely to succeed, which means less time and money spent in remedial classes.
Brown has begun initial talks with the local Chamber of Commerce to encourage businesses to check into students' attendance record before agreeing to hire them; a move he believes will help students take responsibility for getting to school.
"I think it will send a very clear message to our kids about cause and effect," he said.
Chamber president Bob Wallace said discussions are preliminary, and more will be hammered out in the fall.
Another issue important to Brown is the safety of the schools - not only physically, but psychologically.
"The public schools, because we have kids from all walks of life, we want to make sure all kids feel welcome, safe and respected," he said.
"I want kids sitting forward in their seats eager to learn," he added. "I want classrooms to become little areas where kids can discuss ideas, become involved."
With his wife in the Legislature, Brown and his family will continue to have a permanent residence in Freeborn County, where they own a 10-acre horse farm, but Brown plans to purchase a home in Fairmont and become actively involved here.
"I want people to know they can call me with whatever concern they have, 24/7. I would rather find out about something Friday late than Monday early," he said.
Brown said everything students do during the day should be involved in nurturing growth in one of two areas - citizenship or scholarship.
He said everything between picking up after themselves in the cafeteria (citizenship) to taking tests (scholarship) should lead students to understand they are responsible for the choices they make.
"I want to empower the kids here," he said. "I have high hopes."
