In Depth with Stan Wojton

Stan Wojton came into his first interview with the Niagara Express on time but with a leaking Tim Horton’s cup. He put it in a second cup and suggested it needed to be microwaved.

His office is to the right of the administrative assistant, across from the office where the new Niagara Falls school superintendent’s predecessor Mark Laurrie did the job for 12 years.

Ask anyone about the new superintendent and one word comes up consistently. “Nice.” No one seems to have a bad word to say about the guy in a Ned Flanders sort of way.

That is not to denigrate Wojton but to celebrate. He seems unflappably together in contrast to his gregarious predecessor and mentor. Wojton is in control with his own calm style and presence.

The other thing everyone seems to mention is Wojton’s experience as a hockey coach. In fact, this is his first time in 13 years not coaching either interscholastically or for one of his children. Now he’s just a hockey dad.

He shadowed Laurrie for last school year and still calls or texts with him weekly because the retired superintendent cares deeply about Wojton’s success and that of the district.

We will start at the beginning. It’s pronounced Woeton. The J is silent. Wojton grew up in Niagara Falls and was educated here from Maple Avenue to Gaskill and “the real” Niagara Falls High School.

Ascending to the superintendency after 22 years with the district has been a smooth process without a lot of surprises.

“Fortunately being home, I have had the opportunity to look at the district through a lot of different lenses,” he said.

For example, visiting SUNY Niagara to talk about workforce development, cooperatively creating a program to help students learn nursing with the cooperation of Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital. Hospital CEO Joe Ruffalo has been a huge help. The hospital has cooperated in other ways as well, for example bringing mobile vaccination service to 8 different locations.

There are challenges for Wojton. The same ones Laurrie faced. The district has struggled academically for a long time. What are the reasons and what evidence supports Wojton’s view?

“That’s a loaded question and a great question,” Wojton said. “There is a lack of belief. Our students don’t see a long term benefit when there is a lack of instant gratification. That has hurt us because adult learners struggle. Ultimately we have to improve engagement in the community."

Wojton said there are not major curriculum changes this year but the implementation of the state initiative to redefine the portrait of a graduate will be implemented over the next 5 years. A PDF explaining the shift is attached.

Say Yes is growing and becoming a bigger and bigger help to the district with Saturday Academies and its expanding endowment as well as workforce development for the trades.

Say Yes in Buffalo achieved a $67 million endowment in 7 years. In Niagara Falls, it is at $3 million. The process is slow and deliberate.

Some successful things in the district will remain the same. For example, Walk the World, the wildly successful celebration of international cultures at Niagara Falls High School is on an 18-month cycle but it is making a cameo in November for the Niagara Orleans School Board’s Association.

Wojton is steadfast in support of the residency requirement for district teachers. He also doesn’t see it as an impediment to recruiting which is an ongoing endeavour.

“We are always looking,” Wojton said. “We have no openings but there always are areas of shortage like special education, science and languages.

As for budget development, it is moving along but increasingly tougher because of the decline in state aid and the increase in costs.

He never did microwave that coffee.