The heartfelt artwork also says a lot about the long and rewarding career in education that Binder has embraced, enjoyed, and appreciated for forty years now. Binder, who has spent 24 of those years at the Stratford Community School, will retire at the end of this school year in May.

Why did she go into education? “I knew I liked kids,” she answers. “At the elementary level, they have all this potential, and they see the world with all of its potential. Kids at the elementary level are trying their very best. They’re the best part of my job.”

Raised in Colorado, Binder graduated from Cornell College at Mount Vernon, Iowa, in 1977 with a degree in Spanish and sociology before beginning her teaching career in California. Several years later she relocated to Arizona. Always working at the elementary level, for fifteen years Binder taught subjects as varied as writing, TAG, and English as a second language, as well as teaching in several bilingual classrooms over the years. Some of those schools had enrollment of 1,000 student, quite a difference from the 100 students currently at the Stratford school.

Along the way, Binder earned a Master’s degree in administration and curriculum development from the University of Arizona and later a PhD in educational leadership and policy studies at Iowa State University.

Sarah Binder checked in on the projects of these young Stratford students: (from left) Samantha Tilley, grade 2, and Emalyn Burt, Cael Paulson, and Breckyn Eide, all first graders. Teachers for grades 1-2 are Gina Monroe and Liz Smith.

In 1993 a career move for her husband Brad brought the couple to Iowa, where they settled in Ames and Binder was hired as curriculum coordinator and to plan professional development for Northeast Hamilton and Webster City, including the Stratford district. A few years later, she was named to fill the combined position of principal and superintendent for the Stratford school, where students in preschool through grade six attend school before finishing their education at Webster City Community School.

Although she is an administrator, Binder claims that regular recess duty is her favorite part of the day. “I didn’t like it when I was a teacher,” she admits, “but now I do because I get to see the students every day at recess, and they see me. It helps when they are in trouble and know that I care.”

While Binder has been at the helm in Stratford, the school adopted multi-age classrooms in 2010, with kindergartners

in their own room and shared classrooms for grades 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. “This has allowed us to be very responsive, creative, and flexible, and to serve the kids well,” the administrator notes. “It has given us flexibility with the budget and to have a strong program. The teachers have worked very hard to make this work well.” Each room has two teachers who co-teach.

“This system challenges the kids and maximizes their learning,” Binder points out. “And there are two of you to do that.”

The district started a preschool in 2000, and now the Early Learning Center serves infants and young children as well. “We were able to provide preschool for every child here in an integrated setting,” Binder notes, with a hint of pride.

Binder believes that funding is the biggest challenge in education today. “How do we meet the needs of all children and provide a rich program?” she asks. “And how do we do that with a creative response to the changing needs of the community?

“I believe Stratford is a very strong program,” Binder continues. “The board, the staff, and the families are very supportive. Whenever we ask for help, there are many volunteers.”

Having the right staff has made a big difference for Binder. “I’ve been very lucky to work with staff here that’s very willing to be creative and flexible. We’ve worked really hard to build a community here,” she says.

Currently, the school janitor is the only male staff member at the school. That will change this fall, though, when Josh Culberson, a Stratford native who graduated from WCHS in 1993, becomes the full-time principal at school, replacing Binder.

Even after 40 years in education, Binder’s eyes still sparkle as she talks about the students and the school. Considering what her career has meant to her, she comments, “I know the kids where I have made a difference. Parents or kids tell me about their successes in life, or I see them. There aren’t many jobs you can say that.”

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