Public trust key issue for next DeKalb superintendent

By Jaime Sarrio

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

DeKalb County's next school superintendent will be selected partly on his or her ability to build public trust, so successes in their current jobs might offer clues about what stakeholders can expect here.

School board Chairman Tom Bowen said the finalists were asked specifically how they would address credibility issues in the district, which over the past year has been distracted by accreditation scares, leadership scandals and squabbling between board members.

"That was clearly an area we were paying a lot of attention to," Bowen said. "If you look at the things that impact the district, a lot of the issues we have today are tied to rebuilding a level of trust and credibility as a result of things that go back many years."

Two finalists remain in the search for a new leader of the 97,000-student district, the third-largest in Georgia and one of the biggest in the country: Arthur R. Culver of Champaign (Ill.) Community School District No. 4 and Lillie M. Cox of Hickory (N.C.) Public Schools. Gloria Davis of Decatur (Ill.) Public Schools withdrew from consideration Friday.

The board could approve a selection any day, including at the regularly scheduled meeting Monday night in Stone Mountain.

It's a turbulent time for the district. Former Superintendent Crawford Lewis was indicted last year on charges he ran a criminal enterprise at the school district. The board must complete a series of recommendations by October in order to keep the district's accreditation in good standing. In the meantime, only seven of DeKalb's 23 high schools made Adequate Yearly Progress in 2010 under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Culver has been superintendent in Champaign for nine years, plenty of time to rub people the wrong way, said Stacey Cole, a PTSA co-president at one of the district's high schools.

Cole likes Culver and the changes he's made to address racial inequities in schools. The superintendent lists as one of his major accomplishments the settlement of a federal consent decree, which centered on improving academic achievement for black students.

Culver listens to parents and tries to get community input, but in the end makes the decisions he feels are best for students, Cole said.

"The more people are upset with him, the more me and my husband tend to like him," she said. "I think more people than not will be happy to see him go, but they’ll be happy for the wrong reasons."

Residents in Hickory are just getting to know Cox, who took over as superintendent of the city school system in July 2009. Reports are she's aggressive at dealing with system issues, and has earned the respect of the business community by reaching out for help.

Former staff members say she's a collaborative leader who knows her field but takes time to listen to those she works with.

Bruce Meisner, who has been on the Hickory City Council since 1983, said Cox is a private person he doesn't often run into at community events. But he doesn't necessarily view that as a deal breaker.

"That’s personality," he said. "She doesn’t need to be an ambassador. She’s got control of the school board and handles the teachers; that’s the lion’s share. I’d much rather have that than someone who is schmoozing to be popular. She is not that way."