INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Dr. Fran Adams was feted by academic and community leaders at a Retirement Reception at the Courthouse Executive Center last Tuesday, hosted by the Education Foundation of Indian River County. Adams will retire from her position as IRC School District Superintendent at the end of June; Dr. Mark Rendell will transition into the position beginning June 1 as a consultant.
Dr. Rendell will become the Schools Superintendent July 1.
Paraphrasing the vernacular of the baseball themed event, Adams ‘knocked it out of the park’ during her tenure here, hitting a home run with a host of remarkable accomplishments. Many of the ‘stats’ were listed on baseball cards, compliments of The Learning Alliance, naming Adams as Moonshot Moment Head Coach.
“I call her a trail blazer,” said retired Middle School Principal Eddie Hudson as guests began to arrive. “She was full of aspirations. She aspired as well as inspired. Being a trailblazer, she also showed women that women could superintendents. And she made a great superintendent for Indian River County.”
“Today we’re here to celebrate the retirement of our head coach, Dr. Fran Adams, Superintendent of Schools,” said Bruce Green, Asst. Superintendent of Technology and Assessment.
“It is a great honor to stand before you this evening to honor one of Indian River County’s Major League players, a true champion for public education, Dr. Fran Adams,” said Cynthia Falardeau, Education Foundation Executive Director, before elaborating on Adams’ academic resume, which locally began in 1983 as a Citrus Elementary School second grade teacher.
Falardeau said Adams kept three bases loaded over the course of her career, focusing on three key strategies – being people centered, a visionary and a collaborator.
“Dr. Adams is a skilled coach who has led by example,” said Falardeau.
Through varied district leadership positions, Adams was instrumental in helping to launch the VBHS Alternative Education Program, developing summer school retreats with principals, developing and implementing curriculum pacing guides for teachers in core academic areas, and designing and implementing a data management system to analyze benchmarks and state assessments.
“Truly, she was ahead of her time,” said Falardeau. While at Citrus, Adams created “Classrooms of the Future,” computer assisted Wy-Cat Labs targeting at-risk students, and developed an elementary student-operated TV Production studio.
When Adams was selected as the founding Principal of Sebastian River High School, Falardeau said, “The new high school presented Dr. Adams the unique opportunity to apply her vision for individual student success.”
Adams selected the International Baccalaureate program to compliment the VBHS’s Advanced Placement program, wanting a program that would allow both schools to achieve academic excellence for their students. She also created Career Academies, providing students with industry certification and college credits.
In 2012, after an auspicious meeting between Adams and two parents – Barbara Hammond and Liz Woody of The Learning Alliance, the school district launched the Moonshot Moment goal to have 90 percent of third graders reading at grade level by 2018.
“Indian River County was one of just a few school districts in the nation bold enough to set such an aggressive goal,” said Falardeau. “Dr. Adams, you have covered all bases, brought us to home plate, and knocked it out of the park!”
“I heard three bases, and three characteristics,” said Green. “But I know Dr. Adams to be something else, especially in her last four years as head coach, and that’s a risk taker. No matter what the challenge, it’s always been about what’s right for kids.”
Appreciating her lifelong love of students and education, Green said school district employees created an Indian River State College Scholarship in her name.
“Today is about honoring the game you played, the way you played it, but most importantly, who you’ve inspired and mentored and coached along the way,” said Green.
“In my 31 years in Indian River County School District, I found what I loved,” said Adams. “It was wrapped together in a career dedicated to public education.”
She spoke about the complex challenges in preparing students for a competitive, global society, adding, “On behalf of the students and their future, to everyone here tonight, I urge you to support public education. I look to the future of this school district with confidence and optimism.”
Adams said she plans to spend lots of time with her family in this new chapter of her life – her parents, husband Butch (owner of Capt’n Butcher’s in Sebastian), their two children and four grandchildren.
