Washtucna School District welcomes new superintendent

With the start of the New Year, the Washtucna School District welcomed Vance Wing to serve in the leadership role of superintendent for the district.

Wing dove straight into his responsibilities at the school and is anxious to become more active within the local community. He brings with him a wealth of experience as a former school administrator, and also shares a passion for enhancing learning opportunities within rural communities.

Originally from the Benton City area, Wing grew up in an agricultural area helping on farms. After high school he attended Ricks College to play baseball for a year, before returning home to assist on the farm due to health issues in the family.

He then continued his education at Central Washington University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in education. Wing later earned his Master’s Degree from Eastern Washington University, as well as his principal’s certification. He received his superintendent certification from Washington State University.

Wing began his career as a teacher in Royal City, and continued to work there for 11 years. He moved on to work for the Benton City Grade School as a vice principal for two years, before moving on to work as the middle school principal and executive director of curriculum in the district for 12 years.

During his time as an administrator, Wing said he enjoyed the smaller school districts because of the variety of roles he had and the opportunities to become more engaged in the district. Wing said the smaller school districts allow administers to work closely with students and parents, and that is a perfect fit for him.

With a few weeks of experience in the Washtucna School District already behind him, Wing is looking forward to expanding opportunities for students in the district. He has been impressed by how united the teaching staff is to assuring each student receives personalized attention and has the highest quality of learning available.

“It’s just fantastic to see this school, and how united the teachers are,” Wing said. “We are offering personalized education and that’s what parents want. Every school is trying to make that education personal and flexible, but there are too many kids. We have that opportunity here.”

Wing is currently focusing on updating the district’s curriculum in an effort to provide the best educational product available to the students. His goal is to create a district and a school that is a school of choice in the area: a place where parents choose to send their students.

“The new curriculum is to benefit the kids and their choices. We have a great opportunity to ‘dress ourselves up’ here,” Wing said.

Wing said his focus in the curriculum is to show students how powerful their voice can be, and allow them to explore a variety of life skills and learning to help them discover their interests. He hopes to create a positive environment for the students in order to challenge them to overcome obstacles both in the classroom and in life.

“My personal goals are to take what we have here with the support of the community, the building (staff) and the environment of learning, and create personal learning opportunities,” Wing said.

“I think it’s needed and important to our district,” Wing continued. “We have to do a great job of educating who we have, and show the community and those around us what we’re doing. Everything we do benefits those we’re teaching.”

Wing is currently working as the superintendent on a part time basis and commutes from Benton City, where he lives with his wife Kara. The couple has two children who are currently in college, Hayden and Victoria.

While Wing does not reside within the Washtucna community, he is still looking to become active within the town. He has joined the Lions Club and hopes to spend time attending community events to become more familiar with the needs and residents’ goals for the district.

“I’m excited to get to know everyone in town, there’s plenty of time to communicate with them,” Wind said. “The parents have a choice to send their kids here, and I think that’s great. I see a lot of positive things coming out of the school in upcoming years.”

Wing emphasized his purpose is to support everyone in the district, regardless if they have children in school or not. The most important thing is for the district to continue to grow and provide quality-learning experiences for all who attend the Washtucna School.

Wing encourages parents or community members to contact him at the school with any concerns or questions. He can be reached at 646-3237 or by email at [email protected].