Recipes For Living
By Fern Underwood
Ned Cox
Meet Clarke Community School Superintendent, NED COX, whose family’s story is in “Recipes for Living” Vol. XIII:
I was born and raised in Creston. Dad was a railroader, gone for a day or more at a time. Mom worked during my childhood, leaving me in the care of three older sisters, who teased me about how terrible school would be. Dad responded to my reluctance to go, promising, “Go today, and if you don’t like it, you won’t have to go back,” then disappeared for two days. I found school wasn’t too bad, so I went back, and ever since, I’ve gone back every day for 13 years in Creston and 33 years in my career.
I attended Iowa State University two years, and received my first degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Martha Ketcham (an Osceola native) and I were married and shared those years of stringent sacrifices. Our goal was to get my degrees without loans, gifts, or grants. We succeeded! We crowded into a duplex trailer, ½ ours and ½ another renter. Both Martha and I worked, but couldn’t afford a phone. Our entertainment on Sunday evenings was to take $5 to the store to buy groceries for the week. At least the store was air-conditioned.
Finally, college graduation! I sent applications for teaching jobs and chose a school at Underwood, Iowa where they built a new school. During those six years, our first two daughters, Marianne and Christina, were born. I taught English seven out of eight periods, and coached football, basketball, track and softball, which demanded I be gone every night. I attended Ames summer sessions. My decision to become a principal necessitated a Masters degree, which was conferred after 13 summer sessions for my bachelors, my masters, and my specialists degrees.
My first principalship was in Nebraska City, where our third daughter, Abby, was born. This was a parochial school, which required adjustments from my Presbyterian background. I went to Mass every day, and special Masses on Friday. I drove the school bus morning and afternoon, cut grass and shoveled snow at the school and athletic field. In my spare time, I evaluated teachers and helped kids! It was a good experience, but it didn’t pay well and there was no retirement package.
Returning to public school, I applied to Nisha Valley, made up of three small towns – Henderson, Hastings, and Emerson. During those three years, I attended college and finished my specialist degree. From there our family went to Avoca for five years while they prepared to consolidate. I worked extensively on reorganization, and completed my next degree, intentionally just short of a PhD. I was becoming aware that I wanted to be a superintendent.
My first superintendency was in Sidney, Iowa. We were there for seven years. Other than a hiatus in northwest Iowa, that is my career history until we came to Osceola. We are now in our sixth year here. It has been terrific! We have moved the office from the unsightly, unhealthy quarters in the post office basement to a new building paid for without a bond issue. It provides improved work space and furnishings for secretaries, room and furnishings for the TAP (Tradition Alliance) Program designed to teach special education kids to find and keep employment. There is space for the alternative high school and the Four-Oaks classroom, which is another alternative type educational setting.
The district continues to expand our services. We take students as young as three-year-olds and teach them to brush their teeth, eat with utensils, and socialize with other children. Some may be with us until they are 25. We have also opened a pre-school for four-year-old students, which is free to all families in our district.
We have hired another ELL (English Language Learning) teacher to serve our growing Hispanic population, and another special education teacher for high school.
This account omits the laughter and tears, frustrations and joys experienced by every family member as Martha and I have tried to meet the demands of home, school, and work. But in Osceola we have found our dream home and church, our three girls are married, responsible adults. We are grandparents! We love the community and its people, and for all that we have, we give thanks to God.
