Superintendent Dr. Ed Tyson announced on Wednesday he’ll retire at the end of the 2000-2001 school year, a year before his current contract expires.

“It was a tough decision,” Tyson said this morning. But it’s a decision that will free him from 14-hour work days and give him time to do other things.

“I don’t want a full time job,” he said. “I’ve done that so long and had so much of my time tied up for so many years that I want some freedom and flexibility”

He will likely consult for school systems and look for public service opportunities after his retirement, he said.

Tyson, 59, became Kannapolis superintendent in November 1992, after serving as an associate superintendent with Cabarrus County Schools.

Under his guidance, Kannapolis schools have seen improvements in student achievement, safety, retention, technology and increased enrollment.

The gains came despite financial and enrollment woes in the early 1990s that had Tyson advocating merger with Cabarrus County Schools and seeking the county superintendency.

Tyson said one reason he announced his retirement now is that he wants to leave the system on a high note.

“I would never want to leave it on a downward turn, and I’m not doing that,” he said. “I feel good that the timing is right”

Accolades for Tyson have included being named Kannapolis Citizen of the Year in 1994 and Regional Superintendent of the Year in 1995.

On April 6, Tyson and Kannapolis personnel director Dr. Annie Laura Pickett received Professional Educator of the Year Awards from UNC Charlotte’s education department.

But Tyson’s tenure hasn’t been all smooth sailing. He recently endured criticism for his handling of allegations of misconduct against a former teacher.

Tyson told the Kannapolis Board of Education last year of allegations against Richard Moore, a former teacher and N.C. State House representative.

He revealed only then, Lee Efird, school board chairman, said later, that a student made similar allegations against Moore two years earlier.

Tyson said the Moore allegations have nothing to do with the timing of his retirement and won’t cast a cloud over the waning days of his tenure.

Efird said that situation has “absolutely, unequivocally” nothing to do with Tyson’s retirement, and that the 60-year-old school system is better for Tyson’s stay.

“He’s made it a better place and made it stronger, and we’re grateful for that,” Efird said this morning. “And we’ll build on that and make it stronger.”

Efird said the board has plenty of time to discuss the process of selecting Tyson’s successor and probably won’t discuss that at its next meeting.

Finding someone with Tyson’s credentials would seem difficult. He has worked 35 years in local public schools as a teacher, counselor, principal, instructional supervisor and superintendent.

He holds a doctorate in education from Duke University, a master’s degree in counseling and guidance from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree from Pfeiffer University.

Tyson said he will work hard for Kannapolis City Schools until his last day on the job, June 30, 2001.