Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Knost.
Hi Eric, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born in 1965 as the youngest of four siblings. As a small child, I never remember feeling very normal, and while I was quite shy, around family and close friends I often sought attention as a mischievous comedian of sorts. I had two loving parents who cared for and adequately nurtured their family. My oldest brother was born with severe disabilities and special needs, which significantly occupied my mother’s time. My father was an over-the-road truck driver who was often away or sleeping odd hours between trips. I learned a lot watching my parents care for my brother, David, and I learned the most difficult lesson of loss when David passed away shortly after my twelfth birthday. Much of my early childhood experiences relating to my brother were foundational to my life as an educator, leader, and child advocate. As an adult looking back, I learned so much from this young man who never walked or talked during his short life of seventeen years.
I became very interested in music when I was young. We had a piano in the house, which was always there for my curiosity. I received a guitar for my 9th birthday and began music lessons. When I was eleven, I began playing the drums. My music teacher, who would become a life-long friend and my biggest champion, was a huge inspiration. After encountering his unique charisma, I knew I wanted to pursue music, and in addition to honing my skills as a performer, I wanted to teach, just like him. He instilled confidence in me that was key to my success as a musician and an educator. Because of him, I received a scholarship to study music in college. I went to a liberal arts college and graduated with a music degree. While studying music, I took education courses, and when I graduated, I engaged in eight weeks of student teaching which allowed me to secure a teaching certificate. I began playing music professionally when I was fifteen years old. My dad drove me to my first gig. By the time I was in college, playing music was my livelihood. After graduation, I had the opportunity to land a job as a teacher. In my early years, I would teach all day and often play music in the evenings and on the weekends. I enjoyed the management side of putting bands together and finding work, and I thrived on developing the leadership skills needed to lead high school and middle school band programs. Leadership came naturally, although I now realize how much I have evolved in those roles since the early days. I was encouraged and recruited into school administration.
I served as an administrator in many roles, including intern/assistant principal for an elementary school, assistant principal for a high school, principal for a high school, assistant superintendent, deputy superintendent, and ultimately, superintendent. I went on to earn a master’s and doctoral degree in education administration. I have taught music to elementary, middle, and high school students, and I taught education courses as an adjunct professor for a graduate program.
While I took a hiatus from playing music professionally when my daughters were young, I eventually returned to performing. I also retired from the public school system after 34 years, which included 3 years in the state of Iowa. I served as a superintendent for three different school districts, including the Mehlville School District, the Rockwood School District, and the Lewis Central Community Schools. Even though I am technically retired, I still work in education. I now serve as the superintendent/executive director overseeing Missouri’s adult Excel High Schools, which offer anyone 21 and older a second opportunity to pursue a tuition-free high school diploma. The Excel Centers are part of the MERS Goodwill Industries. It is meaningful work which allows me to continue finding joy in helping others thrive.
I like to write, teach, speak, lead, and advocate for others who want to thrive in their education, work, and in their lives. In my time away from the Excel Centers, I often play music gigs around St. Louis. My wife, Julie, and I have been married for 28 years, and we have two daughters, Kaylin and Amy. Julie and I met as teachers when we taught together at Marquette High School when it opened in 1993. Our daughters are both music teachers. Amy teaches elementary music in the Independence School District. Kaylin is a music teacher for Crestview Middle School and Marquette High School, and she teaches in the same band room where I resided as a teacher many decades ago.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
I have many things to be thankful for, including my parents who inspired me. I have also been inspired by the courage and effort so many of my students have shown to get beyond their struggles. I feel a sense of guilt as I mention my own struggles which do not come close to what I have observed in the resilient people I’ve encountered. Regardless, I have had some hurdles which proved rather monumental in my journey.
People often find it hard to believe that I was an extremely shy child. I hated school and never wanted to leave my mother’s side. I was a worrier and often scared of the potential for something to go wrong. Being a performer, a teacher, and a leader has required me to get beyond these scared and introverted ways. While I was successful in doing so, I still internally hold onto much of how I felt as a child. Losing my brother was a devastating experience that I never fully got beyond. He died in our kitchen while I was doing my homework close by. It happened in the presence of me, my other brother, and my grandmother. I vividly remember every haunting and chilling detail, including my dad’s efforts to save his oldest son. Forty-six years later, it still hurts, and many questions remain unanswered. I did not understand why this had to happen. I worried about my parents, especially my mother. I would lay in bed at night and think of David’s special needs, and I would feel guilty for having a normal life while knowing he had suffered and died.
I was even more of a worrier in the following years. I often battled anxiety over matters that never seemed to bother others, including my siblings. Although most would not know it, I had low self-esteem and never developed a likeness for school. I eventually figured out how to bury certain feelings, and I learned to enjoy aspects of being a teenager once I reached high school. I had outstanding teachers, many of whom became lifelong supporters of my work. Regardless, school was always a mental struggle. People often expected me to be like my older siblings, and in response, I would occasionally be rebellious. Traditional learning was outside my wheelhouse, so I excelled in music and anything that looked like hands-on learning. I inherited my dad’s mechanical mind and enjoyed tearing things apart and fixing things which were broken. I learned to deal with my anxieties by hiding them beneath my work and my music. I became an overachiever and one to overload myself with just about every role I possessed. Work became my antidote.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
While I am far from perfect, I am proud of being a servant leader in an important profession. Life has humbled me on a multitude of occasions, and I am happy with where I have landed in a career as an educator and a leader. I like to unify people by finding common ground and breaking down barriers that get in the way of others succeeding. In most situations, I root for the underdog, and I have difficulty tolerating people who repeatedly put themselves before others. I like to battle politicians who practice under the guise of helping people while they push legislation that is self-serving, bad for education, and bad for our youth. I believe greed is the root of all things evil. I like to write, speak, and share meaningful thoughts, and I enjoy taking a shot at tasks others deem impossible. Amidst all the challenges, trials, and tribulations of working in public education, I am happy to have felt a certain level of success in all my leadership roles. The qualities of my work describe who I am in the education world. I see many interesting things in the students I encounter and the colleagues who surround me, and all of them inspire me. I am proud of spending my life as an educator and leader. This profession is far from easy and can often leave you considering a change. I stayed with it through all the tough times, and I am honored to have served and been supported for so many years in this field.
We love surprises, fun facts, and incredible stories. Can you share something that might surprise us?
Depending on which side of my life someone may be familiar with (musician or educator), learning about the other may surprise you. My music serves as a release and as a bit of an alter ego for me. People I encounter in my day job can have a hard time seeing me as a musician, and people who encounter me as a musician may struggle to think of me as a superintendent. Regardless of knowing one or both sides of my work, most people do not realize that I still struggle with anxiety, and I often still feel a bit like an introvert. Those are different from your typical descriptors for superintendents, and for a musician who performs for others. Maybe the biggest surprise about me is related to the influence my father had on me as a child. I admired him so much and I miss him dearly. At 58 years old, I still want to be a truck driver when I grow up… just like him.
Contact Info:
- Website: excel.mersgoodwill.org (current superintendent role) 5starroscoe.com (current band)
- Instagram: @edoc_rock
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/eric.knost
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/eric-knost-2a7445239
- Twitter: @MoExcel_Supt
- Other: eknostblog.wordpress.com
Image Credits
Eric Knost, The Rockwood School District, Erica Oliver
