Long-time Townsend Administrator Chosen As Superintendent
 | Author:
Linda Kent, MT43 News Staff Reporter
MT43 News Correspondent |
Linda Kent
MT43 News Staff Reporter
If you’ve spent any time at Townsend Schools over the past two decades you will likely recall a tall, smiling figure walking the halls, chatting with students and community members, or visiting with staff and faculty. Brad Racht has been a fixture in the school district as a teacher and administrator throughout the 21st Century, focused on building relationships with kids and community alike.
“It’s been a good place,” Racht said of Townsend.
Townsend School Board trustees unanimously selected Racht as the district’s superintendent following candidate interviews in early February.
“Although the other candidates had good resumes and interviewed well, it is tough to compare them to an individual that has such proven history within the district,” School board chairman Jason Noyes said. “Mr. Racht has been an administrator in the Townsend School District for 24 years and is well respected by the students, staff, and the community. Mr. Racht’s commitment to student success in our public school system is second to none. We would be hard pressed to find anyone better suited to lead our district in the coming years. He knows our school system, our community, and our commitment to student achievement.”
Racht began his career in Brady, Mont., and has been a teacher, coach, and administrator in the Townsend district since 1999, when he was hired to teach physical education and coach boys’ basketball. He was named the district’s interim superintendent in December, following the election of superintendent Susie Hedalen to the post of Montana’s State Superintendent of Schools.
“I’m at a point in my career where I want to learn a little bit more about how a district is run,” Racht said of his decision to put his hat in the ring for the permanent position.
“I’ve kind of done everything in a district,” Racht said, reviewing a 30-year-career as a teacher and administrator, which has seen him teaching students at all grade levels, picking up work as a summer custodian, coaching high school basketball, and serving as an elementary and middle-school principal. “I feel like I know some of the struggles at each level of a school.”
“I want to learn how to tie all of that together,” he continued.
Racht entered the interim superintendent’s role at a unique moment, as the district had just lost both its superintendent and district clerk. Racht and district executive administrator Donna Cutshaw both found themselves working through both day-to-day issues like ensuring that they had access to all the necessary computer systems and bank accounts to keep the district running, as well as coming in at the tail end of the district’s regular financial audit cycle.
“I’ve learned a lot, and I think it will help me in the long run,” Racht said. He was quick to point out that the previous superintendent and clerks had been excellent in their roles, but that “having multiple transitions in a short period has been difficult.”
Looking toward the future, Racht said he sees a number of challenges and opportunities facing the district, including teacher recruitment and retention, funding, a widening range of ways to complete a basic education, and growth.
He noted that finding and keeping quality teachers challenges most districts in the nation, as fewer teachers enter the profession and more teachers leave. Adding to the difficulty is striking a balance between teacher salaries, especially for less-experienced educators, against a rising cost of living in communities throughout the state.
“[Townsend has] been really fortunate,” Racht said of finding and keeping quality teachers. “Montana as a whole is going to continue to struggle, even more than some areas of the country.”
Privatization, the home-school movement, and charter schools have created another dimension of challenge for public schools, Racht said. “There are a lot more options out there than there used to be.”
“The bottom line is, changes are occurring, and the trend of more options for education will continue to impact public education and what will shape education in the future,” Racht continued.
Contemplating how the county will grow in the coming years brought Racht to a core belief about the relationship between strong schools and strong communities: “Neither can exist without the other.”
For the district, Racht said, that means trying to demonstrate the school’s value to the community and its ability to support and attract local businesses. “When a small town loses its schools, the town is not far behind,” Racht said, noting the decline of dozens of small communities along Montana’s Hi-Line.
Racht said he looks forward to continuing the strategic planning process the school board began last spring, once he and new district clerk Courtney Bancroft get settled into the position, as well as bringing more community members into the planning process.
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PhotoCredit: Linda Kent
Image 1 Caption: Brad Racht
Photo Credit: Linda Kent
