Rockford’s new school superintendent says his ‘ultimate goal’ is teaching 3rd grade again
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The next superintendent of Rockford Public Schools says he hopes to lead the district for a long time, but he doesn’t plan on administration being his final role as an educator.
“My ultimate goal is to retire as a third grade teacher,” Larry Huff told the Board of Education during an off-the-cuff speech Tuesday after being selected as the district’s next leader. “When I’m done, whatever time this is, I want to go back to the classroom. That is where we see our kids’ hearts sing. That is where teachers provide magic, and I also think that is where I believe kids do their best work.”
Huff, who began his career in 2007 as an elementary teacher, went on to serve as assistant principal, principal, coordinator of school improvement and chief academic officer of Metropolitan School District of Pike Township in Indiana. He has been superintendent of Elkhart Community Schools in Indiana since March 2024.
He said leaving Elkhart after nearly two years is a reflection of the opportunity he sees here in Rockford.
“I plan to be here for a very long time. I want to have a home. There is no better home than Rockford. This is a great place,” he said. “You should be very proud of the opportunities you provide students. All the different choices that are available in the school district. This is not only an attractive job for someone to work. This is an attractive home for someone to live.”
He said his desire to return to the classroom post retirement from administrative duties is a reflection of the impact he feels can be made in the classroom.
“I felt a lot of love when I was in the classroom. Most importantly, kids taught me a lot of things when I was close to the action, so to speak,” he said in an interview after the meeting. “The third grade is that perfect sweet spot where kids want to develop that independence, but then they also still kind of need you, too. So for me that has always kept me grounded.”
The district’s Board of Education unanimously approved hiring Huff. He will have a three-year contract with a starting salary of $285,000 and 3% annual raises that could increase based on performance. He will have a dozen transition days over the next six months to work in the district before he officially succeeds Ehren Jarrett on July 1. Jarrett continues to lead the district until then. He then moves a few miles north to become superintendent of the Hononegah School District.
Huff, like Jarrett, will have performance goals built into his contract. Those are expected to be laid out in the next three months, according to Paul Carpenter, president of the board of education.
The district had 47 people apply to succeed Jarrett before eventually narrowing it down to three finalists whose names were kept confidential.
“The amount of talent that wanted to come and represent and work with our community — Rockford, Illinois — we need to be proud about that,” said board member Tiana McCall. “And we need to embrace our new superintendent, Dr. Huff.”
The board hired the search firm BWP & Associates to lead the effort to find a new superintendent. It developed criteria for the job based on feedback from the school board, community members and other stakeholders.
“The leadership profile that was developed from community input was our guiding light for this process,” Carpenter said. “We worked hard to follow that and make our decision based on that.”
The meeting in which Huff was appointed was marked by the overwhelming presence of the Rockford Education Association, which was rallying for better pay, working conditions and other sticking points in its contract negotiations with the district. The labor union has been working under an expired contract since June 30.
Teachers packed the board room and overflow area with numbers so large that people had to be turned away at the door in order to stay within the capacity required by fire code.
“I hope that both sides come into an agreement,” Huff said in an interview after the meeting. “I’m not involved in that process, but I’m really hopeful both sides come to an agreement with that.”
Huff’s selection to lead Rockford comes about a month after his Elkhart district opted not to raise teacher salaries next year, a decision driven by Indiana law that states teacher base salary can’t increase while a district has a structural deficit, according to WVPE news in Indiana.
In Rockford, several REA members stayed after the meeting to congratulate Huff and state their desire to work with him. After taking copious notes during the board meeting, Huff stayed after to shake hands with and introduce himself to teachers who stayed through the multiple hours long meeting.
“I am a person who is dedicated to listening to the needs of our community,” he said during his public comments before the board. “That was evident in what you were looking for in the profile of a superintendent, and that’s just the way I am as a person.”
Huff said he doesn’t use so-called “coach speak,” instead preferring to speak plainly and avoid jargon.
“Speak directly to the people. Speak directly about the problem, and speak directly to the solution,” he said. “I’m here to do the work. I’m here to make sure that everyone understands high expectations involve me too.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
