continued improvement during the past three academic years. I did not arrive until the 2011-12
Academic Year (data from Infinite Campus, the student information database).
Year PLTW/AP
Total Enrollment Female
Enrollment %
2010-11 448 137 30.5
2011-12 760 313 41.8
2012-13 851 372 43.7
2013-14 1,081 531 49.1
Describe why you believe what you did, rather than something else, led to the change.
As the superintendent, my job is to be a visionary ... to anticipate the challenges of the future generation
and prepare them for it. Clearly, there is a gap of women in math and science. By thinking creatively, I
have been able to implement strategies that closed that gap in Worthington City School District by
18.6% in only three years.
Communication
Communicating to all Constituencies. As superintendent, I am the Worthington City School District’s
lead communicator. I am ultimately responsible for creating a culture of effective communication that
supports the district’s vision, mission, and priorities to the community and mass media. This has
required me to expeditiously and effectively listen to and learn from a variety of people involved
directly and indirectly in public education. I have sought out stakeholders of all views and listened
carefully to their concerns. As Steven Covey said, leaders must “first seek to understand, then to be
understood.”
Worthington Schools is fortunate to have a community that is deeply vested in public education, with
many individuals and organizations dedicated to future generations. Since coming to Worthington
Schools, I have worked to build strong relationships with key leaders and members of business,
philanthropic and political organizations, and higher education. I asked these leaders to share their views
about increasing academic achievement, district strengths, and areas for improvement, budget
challenges, important priorities, and what it will take to make Worthington Schools one of the
“lighthouse districts” in America.
My first order of business in the district was to hire a national communications firm to conduct a Citizen
Satisfaction Survey to determine our levels of effectiveness with building public trust, engagement, and
proactive community outreach. I scheduled routine meetings with student leadership groups, teachers,
union leaders, and parent groups. I have hosted more than 100 town hall meetings to gather community
input and initiate continuous dialogues about student achievement and improvement. I have met with
stakeholders who have traditionally not attended such forums, with individuals and groups who have
been active on public education issues, and leaders of the local print and electronic media outlets – all to
establish a framework for collaboration that is open, transparent, and honest. I have attended services
and spoken at area places of worship to build relationships with the faith community and hear their
concerns and suggestions.
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