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The source of this article is the Fresno Bee: http://tinyurl.com/5fn7m Parkinson's doesn't slow superintendent By FELICIA COUSART MATLOSZ THE FRESNO BEE Last Updated: August 3, 2004, 06:20:21 AM PDT Wayne R. Walters, a former school district superintendent in Stanislaus County, is using his Parkinson's disease as yet another tool in his bag of teaching tools. "It's important for students to see … that any job that requires somebody to do a lot of thinking and planning and communicating and all the things that a superintendent has to do, you can do that with Parkinson's," the 58-year-old Walters said. The disease affects nerve cells in the part of the brain controlling muscle movement. It affects about 1 million Americans. Walters was diagnosed with Parkinson's four years ago. He said it is important for other people to know that the disease does not prevent him from doing his work. "I'm first and foremost and always will be a teacher," he said. And he is a school superintendent. His new job puts him at the helm of the Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District, in Fresno County, after having held the top job in the Hickman Charter School District east of Modesto. Glenn Holly, a member of the Firebaugh-Las Deltas board of trustees, told how board members talked to people in Hickman before hiring Walters. "It's very hard to go someplace and not hear some bad things," Holly said. "And we did not." "Parkinson's, whether he had it or didn't have it, didn't enter into it," Holly said. Walters' new job in Firebaugh marks a return to the Southern San Joaquin Valley. He was born in Kingsburg, in Kings County, and raised in Visalia, in neighboring Tulare County. He has been in education for almost 35 years, starting as an elementary school teacher in the Cutler-Orosi Unified School District in Tulare County. From there, he worked as a vice principal and principal in Hanford and Kingsburg, both in Kings County. In Firebaugh-Las Deltas, Walters oversees a district of nearly 2,500 students and a budget of about $16 million. He has a two-year contract through June 30, 2006, at a salary of $110,000 annually. He started his new job July 1, and said he has been busy meeting people and doing a lot of listening. He wants a lot of input from people on the district's needs before putting a plan together. He described the staff as good and hard-working and said the top priority for any superintendent is student achievement. Holly said trustees learned that Walters was very good with budgets: "At this particular time in our state, we need someone who can keep our budget within its bounds." Others have noticed how quickly Walters involved himself in the community. Jose Antonio Ramirez, Firebaugh city manager, said Walters threw himself into projects almost as soon as he hit town, including helping pursue a W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant to develop entrepreneurship in rural communities. "I didn't expect this quick of an involvement and interaction with him," Ramirez said. "That's really got me impressed." Walters, who is married and has two grown sons, said he noticed several years ago that he was experiencing extreme rigidity and stiffness, a symptom of Parkinson's disease. His voice was not as strong, and his handwriting was getting smaller, which happens, he says, because you can control a pen better that way. When he was told the diagnosis, Walters said he first felt relief to know what exactly was happening. Then, he said, "you think of all the things that can happen to somebody and you think it's not too bad. I can handle this." Pete Mehas, Fresno County schools superintendent who last year disclosed his battle with prostate cancer and recovery from surgery, said he knew Walters when he was in Kingsburg: "He had a reputation for being a very conscientious, dedicated educator." Mehas said superintendent candidates typically disclose physical conditions to potential employers. If selected, it is the school chief's choice to share that information with the public, and that, Mehas said, can help other people who are experiencing similar illnesses. Mehas said he receives several calls a week from people seeking help or advice. Mehas pointed out that Walters is working in a demanding job: "That should be an inspiration to other people: 'If he can do that in that job, then I can do that, too.'" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn