Cindy Rumpf has a passion for education and giving students the best educational opportunities available.
One could see it when she interviewed in Salem. As others look back on her career here, they agree her passion for education is a driving force.
Six years ago it wasn’t a hard decision for the Salem R-80 Board of Education to hire Rumpf as the district’s new assistant superintendent.
Board members at the time were impressed with her communication skills and thought she would fit in well with administrators, teachers, students and staff members.
“We could tell she cared for those around her and was interested in seeing that students learned, and the educational process,” said George Gruendel, a board member at the time. “We knew her experience in curriculum would be huge.”
Rumpf said it was an easy decision for her to leave her northwest Missouri home and East Buchanan School District.
“A lot of people in northwest Missouri had never heard of Salem,” Rumpf said. “But it seemed like a natural fit, like we were called to move here. “I talked it over with my folks, children, and others who all encouraged me to take the position.”
Six years later, Rumpf said it was a hard decision to retire, as others praised her for leading the way in improving the R-80 curriculum. She plans to remain in Salem.
“I enjoy living in Salem, and the community is very friendly and supportive of the school district,” Rumpf said. “We have many teachers and staff members who are dedicated to providing the best possible educational experiences for the students of the Salem R-80 School District.”
Changes were not easy roads to take, according to current R-80 board president Bernie Sirois. He said teachers were being asked to do more and take more responsibility.
“What I tell people is that she was the driving force behind the accomplishments we’ve had in the last six years,” Sirois said. “She used her experience to help change the entire curriculum and how students are taught, and our test scores have been showing that.”
Sirois said the district has benefited from her experience in curriculum development, ability to communicate with everyone and keeping the board informed.
Rumpf said she noticed that the district curriculum was about three years behind the school district she was leaving.
Rumpf said the changes were made by a staff that cares for the students and wanted to raise the bar for achievement. She said it took a lot of after-school work, meetings with teachers and staff members who aligned curriculum with state standards. Meetings and planning were long, but they produced impressive results, Rumpf said. The updated curriculum will help students achieve success in an ever-changing, global world.
“We thought she was going to make some positive changes, and I don’t think we were wrong,” Gruendel said.
Professional Learning Communities were formed to improve student achievement by analyzing formative assessment data, a result of the curriculum work. Teachers look at assessment data to make instructional decisions for their classrooms. Leadership team leaders facilitate weekly meetings to look at what is being done and why changes are needed. It takes a great deal teamwork, she said.
Test scores have improved and the district’s work in vertical teaming and curriculum are used as models in other districts, she said.
“Salem has a great reputation throughout the state for its academic work,” Rumpf said. “We have administrators and teachers coming here to observe how our teachers teach, our students learn, and how our students are responding. We’re a model for many districts.”
The school district has also received the Distinction in Performance award three years in a row.
Rumpf's plans for retirement years include spending more time with her family, helping other districts in the areas of curriculum development and other professional development needs, playing music on her dulcimer, piano, and psaltery, and volunteering in the community, like opportunities for the fifth-generation Methodist to help the church.
