When Harold “Chuck” Hatfield started teaching elementary school in Putnam County in 1973, he had no idea he would someday run the school system. He had no idea that he would fill such diverse roles as teacher, assistant principal, principal, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Elementary Education, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel, and Deputy Superintendent, before becoming the Superintendent of Schools.

Hatfield had no idea thirty-five years ago that his career would carry him to the state’s highest honor for school system chiefs; but this year, Putnam County Superintendent of Schools Chuck Hatfield was named West Virginia State Superintendent of the Year by the West Virginia Association of School Administrators.

Hatfield’s journey from substitute teacher to school chief has been filled with challenges, rewards, and accomplishments. As a teacher, he earned the respect of his students, their parents, and his colleagues. As a school administrator, he distinguished himself as an instructional leader, and in 1980, was given the challenge of opening a new elementary school, Eastbrook Elementary. As a central office administrator, he was instrumental in recruiting and hiring one of the most qualified and celebrated education workforces in the state and determining the direction of the system’s strategic plans. As Superintendent of Schools, he has overseen the highest achieving academic program in the state of West Virginia and the largest facilities improvement program since the 1980s.

Hatfield’s statewide reputation has been earned in part by his tireless efforts as Chairman of the Legislative Committee of the West Virginia Association of School Administrators and as Chairman of the Board of RESA III, which includes Boone, Clay, Kanawha and Putnam Counties. In both positions, he advocates for public education and affects public policy and practice.

Hatfield was genuinely pleased and humbled by his selection as Superintendent of the Year, and in typical fashion, he credits others for his accomplishments: “I’m blessed with a good community, good teachers, a good staff, and good Board,” he states. “It’s because of them that I am able to do the work that I do.”

He takes great pride, however, in discussing what he believes to be his administration’s greatest achievement, opening lines of communication between the school system and the community. “By making ourselves open and available to the public and bringing everyone to the table, so to speak, we have been able to truly respond to the needs of our citizens,” he says. “I think that has been our greatest accomplishment.”

This year, as Hatfield begins his second term as Putnam’s school chief, he continues to focus on closing the achievement gap, increasing rigor in the classroom, integrating technology into the curriculum, accelerating the learning of all students, forging partnerships with parents, and making Putnam County Schools a leader in 21st Century education. Additionally, he continues to push for quality facilities for all areas of the county, and is actively working to replace outdated buildings and infrastructure in area schools.

As Superintendent of the Year, Hatfield will represent West Virginia at the National Association of School Administrators in San Francisco, California, in February.