Failure is Not an Option - Principal Schoenfeldt Ready to Roll at CCMS

Meet Victor Schoenfeldt, Churchill County Middle School's new principal. Raised in Northern Nevada, Schoenfeldt comes to Churchill County from Reno, having spent the last 18 years at Washoe County and most recently serving as principal of Sierra Nevada Academy Charter School. 

Becoming a father led Schoenfeldt to the classroom. "Having kids is how I fell into education," said the new principal. "I loved kids, and I wanted to make a difference. And, 27 years later, here I am." 

With 25 years in education, he brings his love for middle school-aged children to Fallon. "I love this age group because it's the most unique and most…flavorful," said Schoenfeldt, "I mean, there is no other environment like middle school. They're very unique there." He believes it takes a special heart to work with students transitioning from elementary to high school, stating, "I love it. It's great. It's that keeps you on your toes," he said, "They're just fun." 

Schoenfeldt brings 19 years of experience with at-risk youth and inner-city student populations, many from high-poverty areas. From the onset of his career, he found his passion. "Two fifth grade teachers and two 6th grade teachers got together, and they gave me 'those kids," relayed Schoenfeldt, "They said,' OK, here's a tall man with a big voice and a big heart. Let's give him all those challenging kids.'"  

"I was really thrown into it. Schoenfeldt recalled having no idea what he was getting into. "I learned really quickly how much you have to build relationships, how much you have to have a spine, how much you have to do as you say and say as you do," he said. "But I will say I absolutely loved it."  

Fortunately for Schoenfeldt, he says he has inherited a well-established culture and community. Having spent time in the classrooms this spring, he feels he knows what he is getting into at CCMS. Like any incoming administrator, he believes some things need tweaking. Two of his larger goals are increasing student attendance and performance on a high-stakes assessment. "There are definitely areas to target there," noted Schoenfeldt 

CCHS staff can expect some changes this year. "They've [CCMS) done a lot of great things, are doing a lot of great things, and I plan to continue those great things," Schoenfeldt stated. "But coming as a new leader, there's there are a few other little flavors and seasonings I'm going to add to the existing culture." 

Speaking of culture, some of Schoenfeldt's plans may ruffle a few young feathers. Cell phones will no longer be used during active class time. Students will be free to access their devices during non-instructional time. To help garner student compliance, he will ask teachers to follow the same guidelines. "Unless I'm grossly mistaken, no research out there stating that having a child use a cell phone during instructional time is better for their academic career." 

The dress code is another area that will see some changes. School uniforms may be back on the table, or at least up for discussion, with Schoenfeldt expressing particular concerns over hoods being up in the classroom and overly immodest attire.

Schoenfeldt readily admits he does not know everything. "I'm humble about it. I'm willing to learn, but I also have been doing this for quite some time, and I've had great successes and my career," he stated, "I've also had some pretty much slap in the face experiences of, like, well, that didn't work out. Let me try to revamp."  

Churchill County School District Assistant Superintendent Stacey Cooper, M.Ed., recalled the first meeting with Schoenfeldt while she was the Coordinator of Charter School Oversight at Washoe County School District. "I liked the phrase you used," she told him during The Fallon Post interview. "Failure is not an option." Cooper believes that Schoenfeldt is not willing to let CCMS fail academically. "Oh, absolutely not. No, no, no," replied the new principal. 

Another goal for the administration is for either himself or one of the two vice principals to be in the classroom at least 51% of the time. "We will probably be in the classrooms a little more than the staff is expecting," Schoenfeldt explained, describing some new methods geared to improve student achievement from a recent course he took with Harvard University. "The number one way to improve a school is to put the administrators in the classrooms and provide honest, robust feedback to teachers." It also helps build relationships and rapport with students.

Presence is another top priority for Schoenfeldt. "As a new person coming in, I want to be very here, very known, very visible. So, I will."  

Schoenfeldt also plans to incorporate a monthly meeting – Coffee with the Principal. "I've done that the last couple of years at my previous site. It was great. No agenda, but more of a here 'Let's talk. What would you guys like to know?' Very open-ended. It's a way to garner family engagement." 

Despite a few new ideas for the year ahead, he knows there will be challenges. He expressed sincere appreciation for the CCMS staff's supportive culture. "We are going to mesh together," the new incoming administrator stated. “We are one school, you know. We are here to help our kids - bottom line."