Eric Arena is retiring after more than 12 years as the superintendent of the Putnam County Charter School System (PCCSS).
Several of Arena’s colleagues and friends surprised him on May 15 with a party at The Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton to recognize his contributions and wish him well in the future.
“Anybody who’s worked with me over the last 30 years or so is pretty confident that I’m not looking for the spotlight. I don’t look for it to be put on me. And anything that we’ve been able to do over the 30 years or the last 12 years here in Putnam is a team effort,” Arena insisted during a brief timeout from the festivities.
“The last thing I ever want to do is shine a light on myself, but I truly appreciate the gesture. I appreciate the celebration, having board members here, administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, transportation people, and custodians here, and having all of them step out and say, ‘Hello, and job well done, and we’re going to miss you.’ That’s a special memory that I’ll keep forever.”
Arena’s parents also attended, and his mother was clearly proud of all her son had accomplished as she mingled with guests. Also attending was Derick Austin, who will take over Arena’s role on June 1 after spending 11 years at his side as assistant superintendent.
“It has been a good ride for me,” Austin said. “He’s a visionary. He looks into the future, thinks, plans, and prepares for what’s to come. So, we’re in a whole lot better shape than we were before he took the reins. He’s definitely made Putnam County a better place.”
Beyond his parents, no one on site had known Arena longer than Scott Sauls, currently principal of Putnam County Elementary School but soon to become Austin's assistant superintendent.
Sauls also attended grade school and high school in Jasper County with Arena, worked alongside his friend when both were principals in Newton County, and was recruited to Putnam County by Arena in 2015. Sauls will assume Austin’s previous position when June 1 rolls around.
Sauls has watched Arena rise through the ranks of vice principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and, of course, superintendent at PCCSS. Still, he said one trait has remained consistent in his old friend throughout.
“The thing that I’ve been so amazed at is not only the way that he’s moved up, but in terms of every single time he’s been in a position, it’s all about the kids,” Sauls said. “One of the things that he said to me – and he says it to everybody, I wasn’t any different – is the sky’s the limit. If you can think about it and dream about it, we’ll do everything we can to make it happen, as long as it’s what’s best for kids. And that, to me, is what makes Putnam so special because if there’s a way or an idea you have about something and you think it’ll be effective, here’s the thing: we’re not going to chop it out for money.
“If it’s unsuccessful, figure out why it wasn’t, and let’s make it work. But we won’t just say no because we think it may not happen. If it’s good for kids and you believe it is, we’ll find a way to make it happen. And that, to me, is what’s been so remarkable under Eric’s leadership,” Sauls continued.
“And, of course, the board has also allowed him to do that under their leadership as well. But it’s been their support of a superintendent who had a very clear vision and continues to entrust his commanders, if you will, or the principals and leaders in the district to follow through on that vision.”
Arena’s current vision is to take it easy and reassess his interests and priorities. He said he loves and plans to remain in the area, and at just 57 years old, he still feels like there’s more to accomplish.
“The connections that we made here through the nonprofits and different kinds of things, people, there’s always help that’s needed,” he said. “That’s one of my recommendations, so don’t worry; you’ll be busy in retirement. You’ll just get to choose every second of what you want to do. And so, I just want to ensure that I’m picking and selecting the right things to do with my time and not picking up any bad habits along the way,” Arena said.
“So those are the kinds of things that I’ll be thinking about. But yeah, I believe that as a human, giving back and being generous is part of who you are and what you are. So, I don’t think that will lessen. I think, if anything, I should have more time to be more generous and give more time and talents, and treasures as I go forward. So, we’ll just see. I don’t have a plan, but I could see where that could be part of it.”
When asked what he was most proud of accomplishing during his tenure as PCCSS superintendent, Arena predictably deflected any pride to those he worked with most closely.
“I’m more proud of the opportunities that our students have in this zip code because of the board's support, because of the professional educators that we have working in our system,” he said. “You can look around the state, or even the United States, and there aren’t many opportunities that large city schools or private schools have that are different from what we have. Our kids have the opportunity.
"And probably what makes me the most proud is if we have a group of students that want to go to an Ivy League school, we have the support system for them to go do that. They’ve got to put the sweat equity in, but they can go do that and be competitive and among the best.
“If a group wants to go to the military, we have the support system. They put in the sweat equity, can be the best military officers they want to be, or can enter the trades from welding to construction. We provide opportunities. This board has been a driving force in giving our kids opportunities so they can then change their generational poverty. That’s really what’s made me proud.”