Charles Patterson's genial voice takes on an uncompromising firmness when he talks about putting children's needs first. ASCD's new president has little patience with educators who push adult-centered agendas.
"Those of us in this profession must truly care about children," Patterson says. "I sometimes encounter people who don't seem to—they get hung up on adults' things, like political fights and debates." But educators considering any policy, program, or technique must be guided by what it will mean for students, Patterson insists. "I have a passion about keeping our focus on children."
This passion has powered a long and highly honored career that has taken Patterson from a 6th grade classroom in 1958 to a superintendent's office 37 years later—with stints as a college instructor and private-school headmaster along the way.
Fittingly, Patterson belongs to a family of educators. His father was a county school superintendent in Texas, his sister is a retired teacher, his wife is a high school teacher, and all three of his daughters are certified to teach. He also has many aunts and cousins who are teachers. Yet Patterson planned to be a historian, not a teacher, when he began college. His first teaching experiences changed his mind. "I was hooked once I got into education," he says. "I knew that was where I was supposed to be."
Patterson has devoted 30 years of his professional life to the Killeen (Texas) Independent School District, where he began as a teacher in 1958, later serving as a high school principal and deputy superintendent. He has been superintendent in Killeen since 1988.
Located 60 miles north of Austin in central Texas, Killeen is a neighbor to Fort Hood, one of the largest Army posts in the country. Recent realignments in the Army and base closings elsewhere have triggered rapid growth in Killeen, where the student population has increased by 10,000 since 1987 to its current total of 27,500. Four new schools are under construction in the district, and several more will be built over the next five year.
Patterson believes that his long-standing ties to Killeen have enabled him to cope with this tremendous growth. "I've witnessed it and I've been a part of it," he says of the rapid change, "which has really helped me as I've assumed the superintendency."
The student population in Killeen is very diverse, Patterson notes, with large numbers of African American, Hispanic, and Korean students. The district offers a strong bilingual and ESL program, because students speak more than 40 home languages. Patterson is committed to honoring and celebrating this diversity. "We as educators must be the leaders in that," he asserts. "In this district it's a challenge, but it's also one of the great rewards. When I go to events at our schools and see the tremendous diversity of our students, who come from around the world—all backgrounds, all colors, all ethnicities—and I see them cooperating in singing together or in performing a play, it's very moving to me," he says.
Meeting Special Needs
Also ranking high on Patterson's agenda is the goal of creating "safe and inviting" schools. "The part we often miss is inviting," he says. "We don't want rigid, prisonlike schools that are safe but not inviting. Finding that combination is a great challenge for us."
Patterson also has a long-standing interest in gifted education, which he acknowledges is a controversial area. "We've embroiled ourselves in a huge controversy nationally over special classes for gifted students—should we group these students together or not?" he says. Rather than being swayed by ideology, educators should use the grouping practices that most benefit their students, he believes; and research shows "there are times when grouping those youngsters together would yield great dividends." But Patterson is equally committed to meeting the special needs of at-risk and other students. "It will be a real tragedy for our society if we don't support all of our youngsters," he says, "and if they have special needs, then we need to address that."
Patterson has long been an active member of Texas ASCD, and he has served on ASCD's Executive Council. He joined ASCD in 1978 as a newly hired assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. When the superintendent asked him what he knew about gifted education and the middle school movement, Patterson recalls, "I realized I needed an organization, both at the state and national level, that would help me." He turned to ASCD for professional resources and has been a supporter of the Association ever since.
"ASCD has established itself as a rich, rich bank of resources for practitioners and other people in education," Patterson says, citing ASCD's publications, videotape programs, technology support, conferences, and networks. "This to me is a crescendo of support for educators out there, who are facing a lot of challenges."
As ASCD's President, Patterson plans to uphold the Association's strategic plan as "our driving force." A staunch supporter of the affiliates, he would like to strengthen the relationship between ASCD international and its affiliates, including those overseas. "I strongly believe we should continue to promote, encourage, and expand our international affiliates and find ways to get them more involved," he says. He also hopes to see ASCD speak out on important education issues, at both the national and international levels. But overall, he says, "My commitment is to empower and encourage the ASCD staff as they continue their work as advocates for children."
Despite the difficulties confronting today's educators, Patterson remains steadfastly optimistic about his chosen field. "I'm as excited as I've ever been," he says. "I think this is one of the most exciting eras in education, because there is so much potential to make a difference in children's lives in these really challenging times." Characteristically, Patterson sees these opportunities in terms of what educators can contribute to "young people's reaching their potential and becoming what they want to become."
