Cox resigns as Charles City Superintendent

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

After nearly five years as superintendent of schools in the Charles City School District, Dr. Dan Cox handed a letter of resignation to the school board Monday evening.

Cox announced his resignation in order to accept a new position as Chief Administrator of the Northwest Area Education Agency, based in Sioux City. Dr. Cox’s resignation will take effect on June 30.

“Lisa and I have really enjoyed our time here in Charles City, it’s a very welcoming community, great people, a great staff,” Cox said. “It’s hard for us to go, but we’re excited about the opportunity that awaits us out in Sioux City.”

Cox will be administrator of an AEA staff of about 255 people.

“I will be chief administrator. The Northwest AEA serves about 45,000 students in 35 public school districts and 33 non-public schools, and about 5,400 teachers and staff,” Cox said. “I get to lead the agency as we provide equitable, efficient and excellent services for students and families.”

The school board unanimously accepted Cox’s resignation Monday.

 “We thank Dr. Cox for his five years of service to the students and staff of the Charles City Community School District,” said Jason Walker, Charles City Board of Education President, in a press release Monday morning. “His leadership has been monumental in achieving the goals the board established and providing a vision for the District. The board is committed to continuing the forward progress we have worked on over the last decade, and finding a superintendent who will continue to engage, inspire, and empower students and staff to maximize learning, is a priority.”

The board called a special meeting next week, on Tuesday, April 3 at 5 p.m., to hear proposals from search firms, the first step in hiring a new superintendent.

“We certainly have a lot of work to continue to do here in Charles City, and I’m committed to that,” Cox said. “I’d love to help with the transition for the new person.”

During his tenure at Charles City, Cox spearheaded the creation of Iowa BIG North, a consortium of school districts in Northeast Iowa (Charles City, New Hampton, Osage, and Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock) that brings students and business partners together. Students earn core academic credit while working on projects about which they are passionate while solving business and community problems.

“We knew we’d be in this position someday. It’s not a shock by any means,” Walker said at the meeting Monday. “It’s always a sad day to see things like this come to an end, but it puts us in a good place, knowing the place we are at today compared to where we were five years ago. I truly believe we are in a much better place now, and that’s thanks to Dan’s service. We really appreciate it, and we wish him good luck.”

Cox also was instrumental in facilitating the process of building the new Charles City Middle School and uniting the district in a common vision. The district is currently in the process of finalizing a high school modernization plan, which will eventually be put to the public for a vote.

Cox doesn’t think his departure will have a negative impact on that process.

“Not at all,” he said. “It will be a seamless transition. All of the plans are going to be in place, and we’re certainly going to be promoting this up until June 30. The new person should get hired in time to have a transition with me.”

In July of 2013, Cox succeeded Andy Pattee, who left Charles City to accept the superintendent job in Cedar Falls, where he still is today.

Cox is a native of Westgate, Iowa, in the West Central Community School District, and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Northern Iowa and a doctorate degree in education from Iowa State University.

He was a student teacher at Roosevelt Middle School and Newman Catholic High School in Mason City in the fall of 1990.

He taught Spanish and social studies in Essex Community Schools for five years before going to West Marshall High School in State Center, where he taught high school Spanish for nine years. He then went to Valley Lutheran Schools in Cedar Falls, where he was chief administrator for two years, then was named assistant principal at Waterloo East High School. He was there two years before becoming principal at Hoover Middle School.

“When I started in Charles City … the board that hired me was united around the goal of turning the Charles City Community School District into a destination school district,” Cox said, in part, in his letter of resignation to the board. “During these five years, the 12 individuals who have served on our five-member board have remained committed to that goal. I can say with confidence that we have made great strides toward fulfilling it.”