Monday, August 17, 2026 / Springfield
Springfield's new superintendent is spending two months listening
Shawn Stover plans to ride buses, serve cafeteria meals, teach with staff and talk with families before choosing three or four priorities for his interim year.
Shawn Stover is beginning his one-year term as Springfield Public Schools' interim superintendent by borrowing other people's workdays. He plans to ride bus routes, serve cafeteria meals, team-teach in classrooms, attend classes with students and shadow district-office staff over the next two months.
After that immersion, Stover says he will choose three or four focus areas and develop a more detailed plan. Enrollment is already on the list: he wants listening sessions with families who moved children to home school or private school. He also expects to work with families on the district's discontinued secondary Spanish dual-language program.
Stover arrived July 1 with more than 30 years in education, including district leadership in North Carolina, Texas and Washington, D.C. He has said the listening is not a publicity stunt. The useful test will come later, when the listening produces decisions people can recognize.
Field notes
What changed: A fresh profile details the concrete listening and shadowing plan Stover will use before setting the Springfield district's priorities.
Why it matters: The district is navigating enrollment, trust and program decisions under a one-year interim leader who hopes to be considered for the permanent job.
Who may be affected: Springfield Public Schools students, families, staff and school-board members.