Bremen Schools Tech Director Says a Bittersweet Farewell

The past seven and a half years have been unforgettable for Curtiss Strietelmeier.

As the director of educational technology for , he has helped push local learning into the millennium and beyond, teens said Tuesday at the district's student-run board meeting. His fingerprints will remain on the district long after he leaves his post—which will be Jan. 2, 2012.

Strietelmeier will move on from his 228 position to take over as the new Superintendent of the Metropolitan School District in New Durham Township in Westville, Ind.

He said that the parting is bittersweet. The new position is the first he applied for after earning his doctorate in school administration and is in close proximity to his current Schererville, Ind., home.

“When I finished my up my PhD, my administrative license, I was like, 'I want to start doing this,'” Strietelmeier said. “I thought it was, like, a year and a half out. This is my first interview, really. I thought it was a chance to get my feet wet, and they liked me. If it had been anywhere else, not so close to home, I probably would not have even taken it.”

The move cuts Strietelmeier's commute down considerably, he said. Though he knows he'll soon be leaving, he briefly reflected Tuesday on his excitement about the district's accomplishments during the past several years.

“The biggest accomplishment is the way technology is integrated in the classroom,” he said. “It's not any particular thing, it's really the idea that people are realizing the idea we're giving them.”

Board members also acknowledged the footprint Strietelmeier will leave behind.

“I would like to take this time to thank for his years of of service to the district and wish him well in his new district,” said Katie Sheehan, a student who was sitting on the board Tuesday on behalf of Superintendent Bill Kendall.

Strietelmeier said he'll take with him many lessons and ideas to hopefully apply to his new role, including the growth of technology in the classroom.

“The kids are going to drive (decision-making) and that's really exciting,” he said. 

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