There are a lot happy folks in DeKalb with the hiring of Kansas City, Mo., superintendent R. Stephen Green to run the county's schools
I can't predict how long the good will toward Green will last, but he is arriving to quite a welcoming committee. (It usually takes about nine months for the euphoria over a new school superintendent to fade.)
Credit: Maureen Downey
Credit: Maureen Downey
Green's main challenge will be improving academic performance in DeKalb schools. The district has weak leaders in some of its schools, and it will be incumbent on the new superintendent to change that.
The DeKalb school board won praise today from Parent Councils United on the process and the selection.
The group -- representing parent councils countywide -- issued this statement today:
With full accreditation and the confidence of the community on the line, it was imperative that the Board of Education demonstrate transparency and integrity in its search and selection of Dr. Green. Throughout the process, the Board has communicated with the public by maintaining a superintendent search page on the DCSD website. The Board also enlisted a group of DeKalb citizens, the Community Liaison Group, to assist in narrowing the field of candidates.
The Board stayed focused on its goal, even as it terminated the contract of its search firm and weathered the related publicity. Board members did their due diligence, reassessed their candidates, visited their finalist's system, and coalesced around a strong message: "The Board is committed to the completion of the search process and the selection of DeKalb's next Superintendent."
DeKalb's Board of Education has earned the respect of the public. This selection process was a valuable step in forging a stronger foundation of trust within the district. PCU offers the Board its gratitude for forging ahead with integrity in the face of many obstacles. We look forward to partnering with our unified Board of Education and welcoming Dr. Green to DeKalb County.
And speaking of statements, DeKalb school board chair Melvin Johnson issued one today about the hiring of Green and the impending departure of Michael Thurmond. This statement is quite a paean to Thurmond:
About the Author
