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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
superintendents in the United States…
Specifically, I analyze her professional
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.
A superintendent’s joy, passion
can make a difference for children