Departing Marlow Will 'Always Be a Twinsburg Tiger'

Even as he spends his last days in the Twinsburg school district before starting over as superintendent at Independence, Stephen Marlow said he will forever cherish the blue and white.

“I think I’ll always be a Twinsburg Tiger,” Marlow said.

Marlow, who turns 50 in a few months, has always been a Twinsburg guy at heart. Graduating from Chamberlin High School, and working his way through school systems teaching special education and coaching, he landed back in Twinsburg in 1994, where he started as an assistant principal at .

“He has been such an integral part of the Twinsburg community for so long,” Board President Ron Stuver said. “People know him and they trust in him.”

After 11 years in the district, Marlow became superintendent in 2005, a job he knew he wanted but wasn’t certain he was ready for.

“I don’t know if you ever think you’re ready to be a superintendent,” Marlow said.

Marlow stepped into the role hoping he could provide some stability and direction for the district. And given the financial hardships school districts have weathered and , his biggest challenge was keeping the district’s academic achievement up, while dealing with a changing economy.

“Fortunately, our community has been very supportive in renewing and providing for our schools,” Marlow said.

He also believed in striving for academic excellence, with the district achieving the “Excellent With Distinction” status for the past several years. But no matter how well the district is does, in education, there is always room for improvement.

“There’s always ways to improve,” he said. “Every year we evaluate where we’re at, and where do we need to go to try to make ourselves better.”

Marlow’s motto for success throughout his career has been, “surround yourself with good people.” And that’s what he attributes the district’s success to, believing the staff, community – and most importantly – the students, have made the district what it is today.

Assistant Superintendent Mike Lenzo, who has worked closely alongside Marlow for several years, will miss the admirable qualities he embodied.

“He is a person whose character is beyond reproach,” Lenzo said. “He’s a hard worker, kid centered, and he’s a good friend and an excellent person to work for.”

As he makes his way to lead the Independence School District, Marlow acknowledged how difficult it would be to leave a district where he has spent so much of his life.

“It’s a great place,” Marlow said. “We’ve raised our kids here, I grew up here, my family’s kids have gone to school here. Sometimes change is hard, but sometimes it’s good.”

While he loves Twinsburg, the district has grown so much over the years that he doesn’t have the contact with students like he used to, something he can appreciate with a significantly smaller district as Independence.

“I think it’s going to give me an opportunity to be a little more involved with kids, which is what we’re all about,” Marlow said. It is that attitude, as well as his blueprints for success in Twinsburg, that he hopes to bring to his new role, leading them into the future.

As for how long he has left in education, Marlow doesn’t know right now. All he knows is that when he doesn’t enjoy his job anymore, it’s time to go.

“I have a lot of energy left, but I’ll do it until I stop having fun.”