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me in contact with an organization called the Lans
53. It was the Lans 53 that gave my family a down
payment on a home to rent with an option to buy. I
shared with the aspirants all of the wonderful things
my board of education has done for the students in
my school district. We provide uniforms for children
who are in need and breakfast in the classroom after
the regular breakfast program ends to ensure all
children eat. We also serve dinner at our Middle
School in the evening before after-school activities.
On June 6, 2014, I was informed that one of my
students at the Middle School was raped on her way
to school. I was devastated because it was on my
watch. I reached out to the family and informed my
board of this travesty before the media reported the
incident. I wanted the aspirants to know that many
times superintendents are faced with challenging
situations for which school board policy, district
manuals, and post secondary programs do not have
the answers. This was one of those times where I
had to use moral judgment and my humanistic skills
to execute decisions.
As a new superintendent I felt that I had let my
child down because no one was there to protect her
from this sexual predator that is still at large today. I
had to work quickly to inform the communities I serve
so I used our School Reach phone blast system and I
sent a scrolling email alert across our website and
sent letters home with every child in the district. The
police worked with me to put a flyer on the district
website.
After doing all of these things, I still felt like I
needed to do more to assist the family. At our June
board meeting I asked my board if we could pay for
counseling for our child who was raped, all of her
siblings, and her mother because they were all
impacted and traumatized by this horrific incident.
The board voted yes, unanimously. The next day I
worked with my central office team to find a
counseling agency to assist the family.
I shared real life stories with the aspirants
because it truly takes a caring individual who is made
of tough skin to serve in the seat of the
superintendency. Our job consists of more than
completing reports, evaluating principals, serving on
various committees and managing the day-to-day
operations of the district. I wanted the aspirants to
walk away understanding that superintendents are on
call seven days a week, 24 hours a day. We must
use moral guidance and use moral judgment in our
decision making.
I closed with a renowned quote by the late great
Ron Edmonds, a pioneer of effective schools, who
said in the mid-1970s: “We can, whenever and
wherever we choose, successfully teach all children
whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know
more than we need to do this. Whether we do it or
not must finally depend on how we feel about the fact
that we have not done it so far.”
By sharing my stories it was my hope that every
candidate left the Aspiring Superintendents Institute
with a clear understanding of the many hats that
superintendents wear and that there is joy and
passion in making a difference in the lives of children.
I closed with a renowned quote by the late great Ron Edmonds, a pioneer of effective
schools, who said in the mid-1970s: “We can, whenever and wherever we choose,
successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more
than we need to do this. Whether we do it or not must finally depend on how we feel about the
fact that we have not done it so far.”
--Dolton School District Superintendent Dr. Shelly Davis-Jones