Century School’s Varble receives recognition
Leslie Varble, superintendent of Century School District No. 100 at Ullin, has been named as a 2017 Superintendent of Distinction by her colleagues in the Shawnee Region of the Illinois Association of School Administrators, IASA.
Varble was honored at an awards luncheon which was held April 24 in Springfield.
Illinois State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Smith was the featured speaker at the luncheon, where 21 IASA regional Superintendents of Distinction were honored.
“It is a tremendous honor to be selected by one’s peers. This is a very humbling recognition. I understand the amount of time and effort that administrators provide to their districts. The results they generate are remarkable,” Varble said in a news release.
She has been an educator for 25 years, the last seven years as superintendent of the Century School District in Ullin.
Prior to becoming a superintendent, Varble was a teacher and then an elementary school principal.
Those nominating Varble noted a number of successes during her time in the Century District. Her accomplishments include:
Increasing dual credit course offerings with Shawnee Community College, with nearly half of the 2016 graduating class having 30 or more college credit hours.
Initiating a One-to-One program for all freshmen and sophomores to increase interpersonal interactions.
Creating an iSTEM/Project Based Learning class for junior high and high school students.
Increasing curriculum offerings.
Developing four portable technology labs that include 65 Galaxy Tablets and e-books for grades 6-12 classrooms and equipping all classrooms with Promethean Boards.
Varble also was the recipient in 2015 of the Agricultural Education Advocacy Award.
“Leadership is especially important in these challenging times of shrinking resources and growing demands for public education. These Superintendents of Distinction were selected by their peers in their regions because of the dedication, commitment and leadership that they have demonstrated,” said IASA executive director Dr. Brent Clark.
The third annual awards luncheon was sponsored by Horace Mann, one of the nation’s largest insurers focusing on the needs of educators.
“Our superintendents excel at providing a supportive, enriching and constructive environment to help both students and faculty achieve their best every day,” said Marita Zuraitis, Horace Mann president and CEO.
Varble earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and is currently working on her dissertation to complete her doctorate at McKendree University in Lebanon.
She and her husband, Dr. Daryl Varble, have four children, Briese Chapman, J.C. Chapman, Aaron Varble and Philip Varble.