Mr. Dave Campbell
Educational Background
High School Diploma, Kettle Moraine High School in Wales, Wisconsin, 1983
Bachelor’s Degree in Education with a major in History and Social Studies, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 1987
Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, Illinois State University, 1992 Currently enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Western Michigan University
Professional Background
After a brief student teaching and part-time teaching experience at Waukesha South High School in Waukesha, Wisconsin during the 1987-1988 school year, I sought a teaching position in a smaller school. I was a Social Studies Teacher and Coach at Bradley Central Junior High School in Bradley, Illinois from 1988 to 1991 at which time I became the Dean of Students at Bradley Central. After hearing about Olivet High School needing a new Principal in 1992, I decided to apply and was fortunate enough to endure a grueling interview process and was hired in May of 1992.
Serving eight years as the Olivet High School Principal was a privilege. My Dad always told me that you should leave something much better than you found it and I hope I left Olivet High School better than I found. Some of the highlights were helping to open our new high school in 1992, being part of hiring of half of the current staff, helping improve the quality of technology available to staff and students, helping facilitate the restructuring of the school day for students and staff so they can focus more deeply on fewer classes, helping to revise and align our curriculum, and helping revitalize our fine arts programs.
I am proud to have served as Superintendent of this excellent school district since August of 2000. Education is a process that is never finished since we should never stop learning. I view my position in much the same way. The job is never finished, as there is always room for improvement in an organization this size. I am very proud of our staff who does an excellent job meeting the academic, emotional, and physical needs of our students. I strive to give our staff the resources they need to do their job to the best of their abilities. Our curriculum review processes are fluid as they need to be in order to keep up with the rising expectations from the State of Michigan. Our Board of Education and I work diligently to ensure that our policies are up to date, fair, and help produce a positive learning environment. In 2005, we completed a major facility upgrade that included new classrooms, science labs, an elementary gymnasium, a 570 seat auditorium, and many other improvements of which we are very proud. In May of 2008, our community supported a 14.5 million dollar bond issue allowing us to expand our elementary school, construct a new middle/high school cafeteria, complete a major technology upgrade, build a new athletic complex and many other renovations and improvements. Our growing school district is getting better every day.
The Mission of Olivet Community Schools
The mission statement of the Olivet Community Schools is “Olivet Community Schools is committed to providing a caring and academically challenging environment that develops responsible citizens prepared to meet the changing demands of our society.” Responsible citizenship entails many things but at its core, our goal is to help all our students become proficient readers, writers, and thinkers, who are knowledgeable about our nation and world so they can contribute positively throughout their life. We aim to help students become kind, respectful, responsible, and honest citizens in our society. We aim to develop students to become well-rounded adults who appreciate athletics and the arts. In addition, we strive to help all our students become technically literate so they can enter our increasingly technical world with skill and confidence.
Personal Background
My wife, Kathy, is a wonderful wife and mother. We have two children, one who will be attending college in the fall and one entering high school. I think that Olivet is a great place to raise a family, which is why we have remained here longer than most people thought we would. When I get some spare time, I enjoy being with my family, watching the Green Bay Packers (win or lose), restoring and using an old wood boat, and being involved in our church.