Rockford — It’s been more than 25 years since Superintendent Steve Matthews was a classroom teacher, but you wouldn’t know it from the way he jumped right back into the fray while filling in recently for fourth-grade teacher Kelly Bantle-Miller at Crestwood Elementary.
As part of a new fundraising effort for the Rockford Education Foundation, Matthews is stepping back into the classroom once a month to sub for a teacher, getting face-to-face time with students and giving teachers some extra time off.
‘To get to know students and interact with them for a full day is a lot of fun.’
— Superintendent Steve Matthews
At Crestwood, Matthews taught like he hadn’t skipped a beat, weaving nimbly between lesson-plan topics like the American Revolution and “Treasure Island,” firing off questions to keep students on their toes.
“Who fired the first shot?” Matthews asked, while talking about the Battle of Lexington and the “Shot heard round the world.”
“No one knows,” one student responded.
“That’s right, no one knows. Isn’t that interesting?” Matthews replied.
Transitioning over to “Treasure Island,” the subject of a Core Knowledge Language Arts unit for the class, Matthews explained that the events of the book take place in the 1700s.
“And what else was happening in the 1700s?” Matthews asked, and students were quick to make the connection.
“The American Revolution,” fourth-grader Griffin Gariepy replied.
“The American Revolution!” Matthews echoed, almost in a cheer, pointing a proud finger at Griffin.
Subbing Days Benefit Teachers, REF
Crestwood was Matthews’ second placement in REF’s newly implemented superintendent subbing days, which kicked off at East Rockford Middle School in February.
Each month, for a $10 donation to the foundation, a student, teacher or community member can nominate a teacher to get a free day off and have Matthews fill their spot. The winner is drawn at random, and once a name is picked, Matthews works with the teacher to find a good day and make sure he has a lesson plan, said Beth Meyer-Kraff, REF executive director.
“It was Dr. Matthews’ idea,” Meyer-Kraff said, noting that it’s a carryover from Matthews’ time as superintendent of Novi Public Schools.
“He thought that it went so well in Novi that he wanted to give us the opportunity to do it here in Rockford through REF,” she said.
The subbing days benefit the foundation, the teachers who are selected, and the students, who, at Crestwood, were overjoyed to have Matthews at the helm for a day.
“He’s literally the master of all the schools and the teachers,” said Griffin, the student who found the connection between “Treasure Island” and the American Revolution. “It just feels cool that he is teaching our class.”
Classmate Madison Jalacki, whose parents nominated Bantle-Miller to get the day off, said Matthews did a great job.
“He’s fun,” Madison said, adding that if she had to grade his performance, “I’d say thumbs up!”
‘It’s kind of like riding a bike’
During a break in the action, as students headed out for recess, Matthews talked with SNN a bit about why he wanted to bring superintendent subbing days to the district.
“I thought it was a fun idea, and this year it seemed like the right time to try to open it up here in Rockford,” he said, “to try to generate some revenue for the foundation, but also to get me in the classrooms and closer to students.”
Matthews said he’s missed teaching in the years since he made the jump to administration, and this was just the thing to reestablish his connection to the classroom.
“I visit buildings on a regular basis and get in the classrooms, but being in the classroom for a full day gives me a better perspective of what the day’s like,” he said. “And to get to know students and interact with them for a full day is a lot of fun.”
Asked if he’s been nervous at all about being back in the classroom after such a long time, Matthews said not really.
“It’s kind of like riding a bike,” he said.
And as for what’s changed the most?
“Technology,” Matthews said. “When the students first came in this morning they got out their laptops and did some math and reading practice on their laptop, so technology has certainly changed. But kids … they’re eager and curious and full of energy, so from that perspective I don’t think much has changed.”
But he conceded that teaching methods have shifted.
“The way we teach is different and there’s a lot more interaction among students,” he said. “Twenty, 25 years ago, you had more straight rows and more teacher-dominated talk. Now it’s about trying to help students make connections and build connections so they learn the material in a deeper way. … It’s a much more interactive class than it used to be.”
Matthews is planning to keep subbing one day a month for the remainder of the year at least, and both he and Meyer-Kraff said reactions to the superintendent subbing days have been so positive that they’re interested in keeping it going in 2026-27.
“There’s lots of positives in my book,” Matthews said. “If it works out this year, and people find it valuable and meaningful and it raises money for the foundation, I’d like to continue it next year.”
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