Leadership Matters April 2015

A superintendent’s joy, passion can make a difference for children

Dr. Shelia Harrison-Williams and Dr. Constance Collins, the Directors of the Aspiring Superintendents Summer Institute, invited me to speak at the institute on June 24, 2014. I had prepared a speech, but after listening to other speakers I decided to speak from the heart about my own experiences as a new superintendent in Dolton School District 149 in Calumet City. The institute was an opportunity for me to share some of my own experiences and meet others who aspire to the superintendency. I had attended the first institute in June of 2011. Participating gave me the hope and the confidence I needed to begin thinking about my journey to the superintendency. I spoke to the aspirants about my first three months in the superintendent position and how I was faced with the closing of the former Everett Dirksen Middle School, which had been in status for not making Adequate Yearly Progress over the last 13 years. I shared how I had to immediately inform my board president, who then informed the rest of the school board members. We had to call a special board meeting within 48 hours and come up with a plan of action. I wanted to save my school and so my administrative team and I closed the former Everett Dirksen Middle School and reopened it as three small schools using the Small Schools Concept. We chose this concept because of the research on small schools. We also reached out to the proponent of the Small Schools Concept to assist us in training our teachers. This process involved extensive research. I worked closely with the Illinois State Board of Education and the Regional Superintendent to lead this task expeditiously. We were able to change the name of the school and create three brand new school names. We opened in August of 2012 with a Creative Communications Academy, a School of Fine Arts, and a Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Academy for students in seventh and eighth grade. In May of 2012 there was a fire in the Middle School just a few weeks before the eighth grade students were scheduled to graduate. I kept telling myself this is not happening to me. The State Superintendent and the Regional Superintendent had to be informed immediately of this incident. In times like this, you have to put your crisis plan in full motion. I told the aspirants that a superintendent spends a lot of time learning on the job. Sometimes, we must use our humanistic skills, the ethic of care

for others, and good old common sense. We must always refer to school board policies, past practices, and call upon mentor superintendents to assist us when we need advice and support. As superintendents, we wear many hats. I also serve as the homeless liaison for my district. I spoke proudly about how I pride myself in serving and helping children and families in need. I remembered my first winter serving as the superintendent. I was working with a homeless family with four children who were living in an abandoned automotive shop. After receiving an anonymous call, I sought to find this family a place to live. I remember asking my husband if I could use some of our Christmas savings to pay for weekly motel stays so the family could be warm and not have to sleep on the streets in the brutal cold. My administrative team also helped me for months with food, clothing and shelter. After constant complaining to the regional homeless liaison and social services agencies in and around the Chicagoland area, the regional homeless liaison put Dr. Shelly Davis-Jones , who wrote this column for Leadership Matters, also is the author of a book titled “Filling the Seat: The Pathway to the Superintendency for One African American Woman Superintendent.” In her book, Davis-Jones tells the story about one woman’s journey. Wrote Davis-Jones: “The participant in this study has many unique characteristics; however, what makes her important to this study is that she is one of the few Black women preparation, sense of self-efficacy, support networks and mentoring, the racial and gender barriers she encountered and the professional achievements and career reflections.” The book is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Davis-Jones is superintendent of Dolton School District 149 in Calumet City, a district that has eight schools and more than 3,000 students. superintendents in the United States… Specifically, I analyze her professional

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