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The Eanes Independent School District Board of Trustees approved an extension to the contract of Superintendent Nola Wellman this March, an expression of confidence in her vision for the well-credentialed, nationally recognized district. Dr. Wellman, who began her work with Eanes in January 2004, now has a contract that continues through 2011. “The Board is pleased with the way that the district has been managed under Dr. Wellman’s leadership,” said Board President Robert Durkee, “and we look forward to a long-term relationship with her as she continues to share her vision for this outstanding district.”
The Odessa native became interested in educating when she was a young teen, teaching children to swim. “I knew then I would grow up to be a school teacher. I just loved it.” And she has fond memories of several of her teachers throughout the years, always aware of their impact on her life. She spent nearly 30 years in Colorado teaching middle school, moving on to serve as assistant principal, and then principal. “I loved being a principal,” she remembers. “And I love the middle school years. It’s a time when both parents and kids need a lot of support from their educators.” Then she was asked to serve as an executive director of middle schools, which meant she would oversee eight middle schools. “That was a challenge that I embraced. I had no idea I’d like that job so much.” But after several years, it was time for a change. “My husband and I,” and their three, now grown, kids, “started looking for a warm weather place to move.” Wellman, who had by then earned her PhD, found an opportunity to move to Austin. “I had lots of old friends and cousins in this area – so it was another motivator to get us here.”
Dr. Wellman is aware that her district’s population is somewhat homogeneous in socio-economic and ethnic environment. “A more mixed culture within a school district does create greater challenges for leaders. However, we still have our own set of unique issues within a more affluent landscape,” she says. For instance, when asked if she sees the drug and alcohol problem that is often pointed at Westlake High as being more serious than in high schools where families have less access to disposable funds, Wellman acknowledges the dilemma. “I consider it a serious issue, the way we handle drugs, and alcohol, within this district. I talk to not only my students,” (and Wellman is observably on an open, first-name basis with many), “but to the parents, about how we talk about alcohol and drugs in our homes and in our day-to-day language.” She notes that today, prescription drugs are the biggest problem for teens.
But problems are not the central issue for Dr. Wellman, who considers herself the ‘captain of a ship.’ Rather, her focus remains on preparing the young adults in her nine-school district for a global economy. “We want college-ready, 21st century students. Funding expectations are high, so credit goes to teachers and school staff for making extra efforts to bridge that gap, some of them working 12, even 15 hours a day.” Property taxes in Eanes, though high, are susceptible to the recapture, or ‘Robin Hood’ program in Texas. The Eanes Education Foundation has been set up to offset some of those lost funds, and to help supplement district salaries. “The goal,” according to Sara Gieb, a three-year standing board member, “is to raise $1 million in extra funds per year. Dr. Wellman is such a positive influence on our work. She has a progressive, forward-thinking style – and always wants to be the best, not just locally, but in the nation.”
Unlike a business, Dr. Wellman realizes her job is not to see that her district has more money at the end of the year, but that she has a well-
educated population. “We work towards collective goals,” she says, pointing out that she has relationships with educational leaders from all parts of the Austin-area community. Sometimes she admits she misses being a principal because she loves interacting with the kids. “Where before it was a natural part of my day to be with the kids, now I have to make a concerted effort to stay connected to them. Their world is very technological, so I stay aware of that, and make sure that we keep up with that world.” The district is always looking for an opportunity to reconcile that, explains Dr. Wellman, by adding more computers, and by continually training teachers in the “techno-ways of the world as part of the dynamic in an organization that needs to stay current.” Dr. Wellman wants her students, and her staff, to stay engaged, and to be able to produce and apply what they learn. “This school year we will be focused on deeper level thinking; we want to teach our kids to problem solve; and technology plays a part in all of that.”
Dr. Wellman wants her students to be involved, on every level, in their communities. The name Wellman connotes positivity, stability and opportunity. And so does her energy, her obvious commitment to her work, and her reassuring, calm persona. Eanes has a strong, capable captain at the helm.