When John Kreider makes a decision, he has one thing in mind: “Whatever is good for kids.”

Krieder, 52, who took the reins Feb. 3 as Carlynton’s new superintendent, said he always keeps students at the forefront.

“You have to. Because why are we here? We’re here for the kids,” he said. “It’s why I got into it, because when I was a kid, I had a respect for the educational process and the people that were involved with it.”

Kreider, a dad of three, assumes the role after former Superintendent Gary Peiffer resigned to take the same position in Greensburg Salem in 2018. Joseph Dimperio has served as acting superintendent since September 2018.

Kreider, who grew up in Lancaster County, received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1990 in mathematics.

He returned to Lancaster County to teach middle school math and ninth- and 10th-grade honors courses.

In 2000, he moved to the Pittsburgh region, where his wife, Rosina, is originally from.

Kreider took a position in the North Hills School District as a math teacher and coached baseball and wrestling.

During that time, he returned to school, getting a master’s of education and his principal’s certification from the University of Pittsburgh in 2004.

He climbed the ladder at North Hills, going from assistant principal to principal at the junior high building. In 2010, he was promoted to the role of principal at the senior high school.

In 2015, Kreider left North Hills for a principal’s job in the North Allegheny School District. He held that role until coming to Carlynton.

While each district varies greatly in size, Kreider said one consistent is that he’s overseen roughly the same number of students and staff at both North Hills and North Allegheny — and now at Carlynton.

In North Hills, he was the principal of a ninth through 12th grade building. In the much larger North Allegheny district, he led the charge over 11th and 12th graders. Carlynton, with 1,367 students in the entire district, has a similar student population and staff size as his past roles, Kreider said.

He was drawn to education because of the positive role models in his life.

Kreider, who has several family members who worked in education, points to teachers and community leaders who made a difference in his life that drove him to a job in the education field.

At Manheim Township High School, it was his math teacher, Don L. Weaver, who made a big difference in his life. Weaver had “a passion for kids,” Kreider said, and he watched as the teacher took an interest in the lives of all students.

“I think that’s what makes an overall quality teacher, is someone who they know their content, but then they’re not teaching math, they’re teaching kids,” he said.

Kreider was drawn to Carlynton because of its “tight-knit communities,” the family values that the district held and the support people have for education.

“Everything that I read about the school district showed that it was very caring and nurturing towards their students,” he said.

Kreider, whose leadership style is collaborative, talked frequently about the need to listen to the community and gather input from stakeholders.

“I’m a people person. I like to get to know people. I think quality decisions are made through relationships, through trust, and the only way you can build relationships and gain trust is by going out and meeting people and talking to them and hearing their concerns,” he said.

Carlynton is working to create a comprehensive plan. That will tie in key stakeholders to discuss future goals for the district. The goal is to have the plan finished by October.

The comprehensive plan aligns nicely with Kreider’s entry plan, where community and parent involvement will help drive the district’s future.

“I want to make sure that we’re preparing our students for a dynamic, global economy that certainly takes a lot of different skills to be successful in,” he said. It’s important that students learn to use their creativity, communicate effectively and learn to collaborate, he said.

Communication with the community also is important, Kreider said. He wants people to know why decisions are made.

Kreider plans to spend time in the schools and meeting with community stakeholders. He even wants to start a parent advisory council that meets regularly.

He also plans to continue professional development for staff to ensure that they are lifelong learners and always staying up to date with the latest changes in education.

Kreider wants the community to know that he is always accessible.

“We’re a phone call away,” he said. “I value their input and their concerns.”

School board president Jim Schriver expressed how happy he is to have somebody of Kreider’s caliber leading the school district.

“We’re excited to have Dr. Kreider as a part of our Carlynton family,” said Schriver. “Our board went through a lengthy search process, with several very strong candidates rising to the top. John impressed us the most with his strong performance at other local schools, bringing fresh approaches to instruction and curriculum, as well as his understanding of the K-12 budget process. He seemed to very quickly realize what a gem Carlynton is… with its close-knit communities and strong student performance. We’re excited to have John take the best of Carlynton and make it better… and help us continue to evolve our district to meet the needs of our students and community.”

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