ASHLAND — Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center Principal Rod Cheyney says he’s “very excited” to be taking over the school’s top job next month.
The Career Center Board of Education voted unanimously at a special meeting Tuesday, Aug. 7 to accept Cheyney’s resignation as principal and give him a one-year contract as interim superintendent, effective Sept. 1.
In addition to naming Cheyney as interim superintendent, the Career Center Board of Education also approved a one year contract, effective Aug. 13, for Rick Brindley to serve as interim principal. Brindley retired several years ago from the Ashland City School District, where he served as athletic director and assistant high school principal.
Cheyney will replace current superintendent Michael Parry, who is leaving after two years on the job to return to southwest Ohio as superintendent of the Grant Career Center in Bethel. Parry said the move is family-based so his young daughters can go back to the same area of Ohio where they and the family have deep roots.
Career Center Board president Dave Hunter said the board looked at appointing someone from within the organization as the best option because there was an internal person who could take over right away and keep the district moving forward instead of hiring someone just holding the spot.
“Rod has been involved in some of the satellite programs we have going on and discussions with Ashland University about a new ‘College Now’ program that starts this coming school year,” he said. “He has the knowledge of those programs to keep them going and oversee them.”
Hunter said the board’s intent is to start a search for a permanent replacement for Parry after the first of the year. The search will include both external and internal candidates.
Cheyney, 57, agreed that his experience with Career Center programs will make the transition easier and said he is looking forward to continuing what Parry has started.
“Enrollment is up and satellite programs are serving students in the Ashland and West-Holmes area,” he said. “I’m looking forward to continuing the process in getting more and more students in career tech education and educating the public.”
The Career Center has established satellite programs in construction and wood products manufacturing at West Holmes High School. Three programs that are starting with the new school year are manufacturing at the Ashland County Community Academy, a business program in the Loudonville-Perrysville School District and a Business College Now program in conjunction with the Pioneer Career Center in Shelby, North Central State College in Mansfield and Ashland University.
Cheyney noted that while career tech has been on the “back burner” for a long time, it is now in the forefront with credentialing components available to students that will train the workforce that society needs today. He also said officials will have to continue to do a better job of selling the idea that students should be workforce ready first and then become college ready.
“Everyone wants their kid to be a doctor or a lawyer and they don’t see the money they can make when they walk out of here with a career pathway,” Cheyney explained. “As an example, there are kids now working in construction who are making a great living wage because of the instruction they received here.”
Cheyney also credited how Career Center teachers collaborate with the business community to show how things work at their companies and take student job applications.
“When students hear things from us they think it’s because we’re educators and we have to do that. But when it comes out of their (business leaders’) mouths, it’s a totally different atmosphere and it really sinks in,” he said.
Cheyney said he definitely will put his hat in the ring to be hired full time as superintendent if the board goes the route of posting the job.
“I’m committed to career education and have done the course work and done the things to get where I’m at today,” he said. “I love working with people and love working with kids and I want to continue doing that for as long as I can.”
Cheyney is a graduate of Jackson High School in Massillon and returned to the school after college to teach auto tech. He worked at the school for 21 years as an instructor, supervisor and vocational director before coming to the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center 10 years ago to serve as principal.
