by Garth Meyer
The man in the Cole Haan shoes sat for his final school board meeting after 16 years as the superintendent for Redondo Beach Public Schools.
A series of current and former colleagues and employees Tuesday night saluted Steven Keller’s work here, two weeks before his retirement.
“You’ve always put kids first, and taught others to do the same,” said boardmember Raymur Flinn.
“It’s demanding here. We move fast and I love it,” said boardmember Dan Elder.
Board president David Witkin presented Keller, a horse-racing fan, with two tickets for grandstand seats at the 2023 Kentucky Derby.
Sarah Robinson, president of the Redondo Beach Teachers Association, spoke for her colleagues.
“Dr. Keller has always been willing to listen to our members’ concerns. As long as they to get to the point quickly.”
Board student representative Chloe Caywood presented a video from ASB officers.
Gil Fullen of Balfour Beatty Construction paid tribute.
“You were fair but you were firm…” he said. “On time, on dime.”
Former school board member Anita Avrick spoke.
“You came to this district and took a chance with us. Our morale was in the toilet,” she said.
Former boardmember Mike Christensen talked too.
“I used to call you Dr. Keller, now it’s Steven,” he said, and noted one of Keller’s mantras. “Soft on the people, hard on the problem.”
Another former boardmember paid respects, and others.
Then four classified employees came up to the podium.
“Your inspiring leadership,” said Julia Henrich, California School Employees Association (CSEA) chapter president. “Your humor, your sassiness and your jolly Christmas pants.”
Dr. Jonathan Erickson, principal of Parras Middle School, came up.
He spoke about a quality of the best teachers, known as “with-it-ness.”
“You know what’s going on everywhere in the class, you are essentially ageless,” he said of the term, then addressed Keller directly. “You embody with-it-ness. Part of you is still a kid.”
After a parent spoke, it was the end of the list of names that Witkin had.
“People outside are coming in, Steven,” said Flinn. “Do we have enough room?”
Members of the PTA and Redondo Beach Education Foundation presented Keller with a red-and-white Redondo Union High School lettermen’s jacket, emblazoned on it: 2006-2022.
Then it was time for Keller to speak – the superintendent’s report – it was on the agenda.
“It’s going to take awhile,” he said, then apologized for a heater mishap in the district office earlier in the day.
“People ask me, ‘why is the district so great? People ask people, should I work at Redondo? Yeah, but you’ve got to work hard. There’s no showing up late. A lot of people opt out, from even meeting us.”
“When I got here, people said, he’s going to be here for three years and leave. I heard it, I even said it too, just to Kelli (his wife). But the more time I spent here… I realized all of the stuff I was selling – asking students to stay with us, if you’re going to Costa, come back here when you’re a sophomore – with (daughter) Sloan in school in the district, I saw that all the stuff I was selling was true.”
He mentioned his three brothers and a sister, and, in attendance with Kelli and Sloan, his grown son Jackson, a teacher.
“To the parents, thanks for believing in us,” Keller said.
He saluted the Beach Cities Health District, the city and police department.
“It’s hard to work here, it’s an uptempo offensive game,” Keller said. He named the five school board members who hired him.
“They took a risk on a kid who was clueless,” he said.
“I’m still going, I think I’m 12 minutes in,” he told the crowd, continuing.
“The high school principal is its own zip code,” he said, praising Principal Anthony Bridi, then deputy superintendent for administrative services Annette Alpern. Then Susan Wildes, assistant superintendent of educational services.
“She is the face of a future great superintendent,” Keller said.
He talked of his assistant in the district office, Ricardo Gallegos.
“He brings the unified in Redondo Unified School District,” he said.
Nearing the end, Keller had another comment.
“I thought about this all day. Of all the gifts I would want,” he said, showing the crowd the timer box in front of his seat. “Is a timer, so when people come over and they talk too much, I can give them a one-minute warning.
That would be great. So with that, I bid farewell.”
Boardmembers and the crowd stood up and applauded.ER
