Eric Knost Takes Over Leadership at Mehlville School District

Mehlville School District's new superintendent, Dr. Eric Knost, officially began his three-year contract Friday.

He replaces Knost, raised in South County, said nothing has taken him far from home. He now lives just outside the district with his wife and two daughters, Kaylin, 14 , and Amy, 12.

Knost has spent more than 20 years in education. He taught for eight years in the Rockwood School District and eventually became an assistant principal at the Parkway School District.

He began at Mehlville in 2002, when he was the principal at Oakville High School. He was promoted to deputy superintendent in Nov. 2006 and held that position until he replaced Noble last week.

Knost, 46, said there were many reasons he went into teaching, but one was his parents.

"My parents, even though they weren't educators, they inspired me in ways that I think pushed me into education," he said.

Patch sat down with Knost on Thursday and discussed his plans for the district.

Question: What are some of your specific goals for the district?

Knost: Simply put, I'm interested in making sure our school district does the very best we can at all times with whatever resources we are afforded. I don't like to make excuses, I don't like complacency. Whatever resources we have, I'm going to see to it that we're doing our absolute very best.

I want to be accountable. I want people to consider this a district that appreciates accountability because I think our community appreciates accountability.

Q: How do you accomplish that with what are often limited resources?

K: When we figure out what it is we need to do, as experts, the direction we need to go, the first thing we look at is how do we get it done with what we have.

I'm not going to lie to you— are there times when we say 'that just isn't going to work because that absolutely would take additional resources?' Yes, but you don't throw it out the window. You continue to think on it, you continue to find pieces of it that you can implement.

Q: Why do you think you would make a good superintendent?

K: What I think is important that I bring with me is just the institutional knowledge. I'm starting my tenth year in the Mehlville School District and I'm from St. Louis... beyond that, I don't want to sound like I'm bragging, but I'm a dedicated leader. I have a very strong work ethic. I've never had a problem putting in the hours... and overall, I've grown to love this district.

Q: What ideas do you have to in the district?

K: We'll do something with (Project ENGAGE). A couple ideas of maybe, what we would do is keep it going, but each year consider a different character trait. Service to others, maybe that could morph into kindness to others, and have a real focus on, in this day and age, bullying and treating our peers with respect. That's not the plan at this time, but some version of Project ENGAGE will happen again.

Most importantly, this will continue to be a school district that tries to build strong character in our students because I think without that, everything else we accomplish is lessened.

Q: What have you learned from former superintendent Terry Noble?

K: Terry brought a certain calm to this school district that it had not experienced in a really long time. What comes with that calm are people knowing they are in good hands. People know that business is being done and taken care of... Terry's humble nature and Terry's humble approach — I don't think he even realizes how much that brought to the school district.

Q: It's fair to say that the school board has a diversity of views now. How do you work with a group that can be divided?

K: To me, it really represents how it's supposed to work. Sure, if you have a board of seven people that think exactly alike, it's probably going to make for some smooth sailing occasionally. But, I embrace a board full of diverse thinkers and independent thinkers, because I think that's what they are supposed to be. There are constituents that voted them in and each one of those board members has a responsibility to those constituents.

Q: Is there anything you would like to add?

K (On the importance of student achievement): I think we've got to make sure we put the very best teachers we can in classrooms. Lives change when people come into contact with other people that care. I believe that, and as a educator I live by it... I think when that happens, kids are much more apt to learn in an environment where they know they are cared for.