Story provided by Stillwater Public Schools
During a special board meeting Thursday night, the Stillwater Board of Education approved the hire of Uwe Gordon, longtime Pioneer educator and administrator, as the district’s next superintendent.
Gordon is currently the principal at Stillwater High School, where he has served for 16 years. He will begin his duties at the end of the school year, taking over for Interim Superintendent Gay Washington.
“I am very excited for the opportunity,” Gordon said. “I know, having been here most of my professional career, that it is a big jump, and I appreciate the board giving me the opportunity to take on that challenge. Having lived in Stillwater this long, I think I have some insight into the needs of the district and community, and I hope to help make Stillwater a better school system. I’m also excited to work with a dedicated, hardworking team of teachers, staff and administrators.”
Board members partnered with the Oklahoma State School Boards Association to help facilitate the superintendent search, including hosting a community survey and conducting focus groups. According to Stillwater Board President Tim Riley, input from the community was incredibly valuable as the board navigated the search process and narrowed down the candidate pool.
“Mr. Gordon has been with the district for decades and knows the Stillwater community very well,” Riley said. “He is a well-respected leader at our high school and has built a wonderful culture there. We think his demonstrated commitment to the student experience, his connection to the community, and his understanding of the unique challenges of the times will translate well on the district level.”
After earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in science from Oklahoma State University (OSU), Gordon began his career as an educator in 1984 as a junior high social studies teacher at Stillwater Public Schools. He also gained experience as an administrator at SPS, serving as the junior high ISSP and Athletic Director from 1993-1994 and as a junior high assistant principal from 1994-2000.
After 16 years with Stillwater Public Schools, Gordon left the district in 2000, accepting the position of principal at Yale High School. He would also go on to serve as principal of Hennessey High School from 2002-2003. Gordon accepted his first job as a superintendent in 2003, leading Hennessey’s school district for three years.
After earning six years of experience as an administrator at Yale and Hennessey, Gordon returned to Stillwater Public Schools in 2006 where he currently serves as the high school principal.
Gordon is dedicated and heavily involved in the Stillwater community. He was an adjunct professor for the college of education at OSU from 1996-2015 and is also a member of the Stillwater Community Resiliency Committee, Stillwater High School Alumni Association, Stillwater High School PTA, and the OSU College of Education Advisory Committee.
“I’m looking forward to serving this amazing community in a new way,” Gordon said. “I love Stillwater.”
OSSBA has helped facilitate superintendent searches across the state, working with other school board associations throughout the country to ensure a competitive candidate pool. The non-profit organization has partnered with several Oklahoma school districts of all sizes to perform superintendent searches, including El Reno, McAlester, Cordell, Eufaula and Woodland.