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Superintendent Dr. Phillip Schoffstall

Superintendent

Superintendent of Valley View School District 365U since summer of 2003, Dr. Schoffstall has served students in seven school districts and two universities in four states for more than four decades. A former kindergarten, sixth grade, eighth grade and high school teacher, he has been an administrator since 1973 when he became a middle school assistant principal, then middle school principal and eventually director of curriculum in Pike Township schools in Indianapolis.

He joined North Lawrence Schools in Bedford, IN as assistant superintendent in 1981 and was named superintendent a year later. Prior to joining Valley View, he was superintendent of Evansville Vanderburgh Schools in Evansville, IN for sixteen years. A Bolingbrook resident, Dr. Schoffstall holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in economics from Indiana State University and received his Doctorate in educational administration and supervision from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is two-time recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash, the highest honor bestowed on citizens by Indiana governors, for his distinguished service to the state of Indiana.

Icon Superintendent's Message August, 2009

The start of every new year is filled with excitement and challenge! The only events that surpass the excitement and energy shown by most youngsters during the first few days of school are holidays and family celebrations. Each new year is a time for renewal of friendships as well as the opportunity to meet new friends. This year will be no exception as our schools welcome over 18,000 new and returning students.

Students can expect to be greeted in bright, clean, safe, and well equipped classrooms by equally excited and well prepared professional staff members who have spent many days during the summer in classes and workshops to enhance their skills and to gain new knowledge. The first day for approximately 10,000 of our children will begin with a short bus ride with a driver who has been trained to get children to and from school safely. Good safety practices continue once inside the school as staff members review with children the ways that we are to treat each other. Our district utilizes the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as the basic instructional technique for ensuring good behavior on the bus, playground, and classroom.

Parents can expect children to be educated in the most effective and efficient manner that suits the needs of individual learners. As needs are identified, various instructional strategies and practices will be utilized which may include some or all of the following: large group instruction, individual and cooperative learning, use of technologies, practical hands-on assignments, demonstrated applications, syntheses, and product development. Each strategy utilized is consistent with a research based commitment to Instructional Decision Making (IDM) that serves as the basis of our curriculum delivery throughout grades pre-K through 12.

Staff colleagues can expect continued district and community support in the partnership to ensure student success. Key components of support in every classroom include enhancement of Literacy for Learning, further implementation of our Technology Plan, and opportunities for professional development that meet individual needs and interests.

I respectfully offer the following thoughts to parents of children entering school for the first time as well as to those whose children are entering their last class prior to graduation. In over 30 years as a school superintendent, I have often observed that those children who achieve the most school success and who are the happiest in their school experiences are those who have a significant positive adult influence in their home life. Positive influences can be as simple as showing interest in the child’s school activities by asking about the days’ activities, meeting the teacher, asking about school assignments and homework, and attending school programs. These practices will build a solid foundation of home and school partnership that will enable children to achieve their greatest success.

Thank you for your interest and support of all children attending Valley View Schools.

Sincerely,
Phillip Schoffstall, Superintendent