Clayton school board to begin national search for superintendent
Clayton County school leaders are embarking on a search for a new superintendent, one they hope will boost graduation rates and improve school safety.
Board members have scheduled a meeting Monday to begin a national search. The contract of the current superintendent, Luvenia Jackson, expires on June 30, 2017.
Board members would not discuss Jackson’s future with the district, saying they cannot discuss personnel matters. Jackson declined a request for comment.
Jackson began her career in Clayton in 1976 as a special education teacher and has held several jobs in the district. She came out of retirement in September 2012 to become Clayton’s interim superintendent, getting the job full time in June 2014. Jackson has worked closely with chief juvenile court Judge Steven Teske to keep students out of the criminal justice system and to reduce out-of-school suspensions.
Clayton has about 52,000 students, the fifth-largest public school enrollment in the state, and its board chair said the board wants to start the superintendent search sooner rather than later. The purpose of next week’s meeting is to plot out how they will conduct the search, said board chair Pam Adamson.
“We’re starting a search so we can have a smooth transition from the current superintendent to the next superintendent,” Adamson said.
Michael King, who cast the lone vote earlier this month against conducting a search, said he did so because he felt his school board colleagues did not flesh out how the search will be conducted.
King said he hopes the next superintendent will improve safety on Clayton’s campuses by hiring more school resource officers and psychologists to work with students grappling with social challenges. Clayton has the lowest median household income of metro Atlanta’s school districts, at $40,314.
King said Clayton has had trouble with gang violence. A 15-year-old boy and his 11-year-old sister were killed in a home invasion last month, the unintended targets of an act police have called gang retaliation. Out-of-school suspensions have increased by nearly 4 percent during the past three school years, according to state data.
“We need someone who is strong in that area,” said King.
He also spoke about improving graduation rates. Clayton’s graduation rate increased from about 60 percent during the 2013-14 school year to about 69 percent during 2015-16 school year, state records show. The statewide graduation rate increased from 72 percent to nearly 79 percent during the same time period.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He currently writes about higher education and has assisted in the newsroom’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
