EdCircuit Staff 
https://vimeo.com/218733522
Guidance and direction beyond the classroom
Dr. Doug Schuch is currently the superintendent of Bedford County Schools in Bedford County, Virginia. Before choosing education as a career, Doug served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1990 to 1994, including time served in Operation Desert Storm. Doug says that the principles of leadership he learned in the Navy have shaped his management style in education. In fact, Doug points out, “When people ask me about my job, I consider myself a leader first and an educator second; and that’s probably not what you’re going to hear from every superintendent.”
Doug spent time as a classroom teacher and is passionate about kids learning, but believes in the importance of the leadership beyond the classroom. He sees the need for a concentration on crucial administrative tasks, including facility management processes, capital improvements, and negotiating an affordable healthcare plan for teachers and other employees in the district.
Doug is also an enthusiastic advocate for personalized learning. He has implemented a voluntary pilot program for students and teachers that will eventually be rolled to the entire district. Doug is in a unique position to monitor the progress and results of the pilot because, in addition to being the leader of the district, he is also the father of a 10th grader participating in the program.
About Dr. Doug Schuch
Dr. Doug Schuch has served as Superintendent of Bedford County Public Schools since 2009. A proponent of collaborative leadership and strategic planning, Dr. Schuch is a champion for Personalized Learning and its transformative ability to empower students to learn at their own pace while providing students choices in how and where they learn.
Dr. Schuch’s 22 years in public education have included teaching and administrative assignments in Fairfax County and Stafford County. He has also served in the United States Navy and is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.
Follow Dr. Doug Schuch on Twitter.
Author
About Dr. Berger, PsyD.
Dr. Berger of MindRocket Media Group is an education correspondent and personality with articles in The Huffington Post, Scholastic, and Forbes
- Finger Lakes Times – Keeping personalized learning a priority
- EdSurge – Finding Your Happy Place Along the Problematic ‘Personalized Learning’ Continuum
- The 74 – Personalized Learning Boosts Math Scores, New RAND Study Finds — But Scaling Is a Challenge
