Byron Center — Jason Schut said the transition into leadership in Byron Center Public Schools has been off to a great start.
Previously, Schut served high schoolers as assistant principal; now he’s excited to get back to his roots working with younger learners, at Nickels Intermediate School.
“When it comes to my professional bucket list, this job was definitely on it,” he said. “Byron Center has amazing, passionate staff. … It’s been amazing to see how they connect and build relationships with our kids.”
Schut has traveled to all 50 states and has taught in more than one of them. An avid outdoorsman, he said he always has to be moving.
Get to know Nickels’ new building leader in this edition of Meet Your Administrator.
Other positions held in education:
- Physical education and health education teacher at Wellspring Preparatory High School in Grand Rapids
- K-12 PE teacher in Gaston School District, Oregon
- PE teacher at Gull Lake Middle School in Richland, MI
- PE teacher at Richland and Kellogg Elementaries in Gull Lake Community Schools
- Dean of students at Richland and Kellogg Elementaries
- Dean of students at Gull Lake Middle School
- Adjunct health and PE teacher for K-2 at Falcon View Online, serving students across Minnesota
- Assistant Principal at Byron Center High School
Education/degrees:
- Bachelor’s degree in physical education, minors in health education and geography education, Western Michigan University
- Master’s degree in educational leadership, Grand Valley State University
What drew you to this building? Schut grew up in West Michigan and after traveling to teach on the western side of the country, he decided to move back to spend more time with his parents, brothers and grandparents. He spent three years serving Byron Center high schoolers and then pursued the opportunities to lead a building with fifth- and sixth-graders.
“Being a fifth- and sixth-grade building principal is the dream job and it’s been a fun transition,” he said.
Why did you want to become an administrator? Schut started off his college career pursuing engineering but eventually decided he “didn’t want to sit behind a desk every day.” He started volunteering with the Special Olympics program and credits “lightbulb moments” for his switch to education.
“That’s what got me started,” he said. “I needed to move to be happy so I started moving towards teaching physical education.
“I never saw myself in this role, but leadership clicked for me. In order to teach PE at a high caliber, you need a structured approach and mindset that is different from the classroom. Now I get to be there for my teachers and support them and the structures we have in place.”
What ideas or strategies will you bring to Nickels from your previous role? “Coming from the high school, I bring my mentality with protocol and how do we make sure these kids are getting ready for upper grade levels so it’s not such an abrupt change. We only have them for two years; it’s a snapshot and transition from elementary to middle and high school. We have to keep looking in both directions to make sure all buildings are connected.”
How will you encourage student voice in your building? Schut said Nickels offers many opportunities for students to get involved and use their voice, including sports and clubs for students to find their sense of belonging. He also said he plans to be as visible as possible throughout the building each day, so students get to know him.
“By the time you figure them out they’re gone (on to middle school), so I’m making sure I’m present in the hallways to build positive connections with kids and acknowledge them for all the positive things they are doing. In a school setting, every new space should present the opportunity to do the right thing and be recognized for it.”
What is one thing on your bucket list? “I’ve been running the North Country Trail and want to eventually run the whole trail across Michigan. I started running from the Ohio border and I ran across the Straits of Mackinac, so now I gotta finish the Lower Peninsula. Then I’ll take a break and figure out what’s next.”
What kind of kid were you at the age of the students in your building? “Sometimes I look back at being a student and think I drifted through school. I wasn’t a bad student and was there for my friends, but it didn’t really click for me until halfway through my sophomore year: If I followed the rubric, I would get the grade.”
If you could choose to have one superpower, what would it be? “You know that ‘lightbulb moment’ educators get to see? I wish we could bottle that up and give it to everyday citizens. I want everyone to know they have the power to influence and teach new things.”
What book, movie, TV show or podcast have you loved lately? “I listen to a lot of audiobooks and podcasts when I’m running long distances or on long drives. I recently finished listening to ‘The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ by John U. Bacon.”
Read more from Byron Center:
• ‘Care Bear’ and ‘Grizzly Bear’ serve as assistant principal team
• Sunflower seeds school students on plant life cycles
