DeKalb County School Board should make Norman Sauce permanent superintendent

In the wake of the profound disappointment and breach of trust detailsed in Georgia Federation of Teachers President Verdaillia Turner’s recent guest opinion column in the AJC, the DeKalb County School District stands at a critical crossroads.

The alleged actions of the former superintendent have rightfully shaken the community’s faith. In this moment of instability, the most prudent path forward is not a frantic national search, but a steady hand at the helm. That hand belongs to Norman Sauce.

Having served as national PTA president, I have had the distinct honor of recognizing schools and leaders who exemplify the highest standards of educational excellence.

I remember vividly awarding one of our most prestigious national accolades — the National PTA School of Excellence Award — to a school under Sauce’s leadership. This award is not given lightly; it recognizes a deep, sustained and measurable commitment to building powerful partnerships among families, schools and the community.

A School of Excellence is one that listens to parents, values their input and integrates them as true partners in their children’s education.

It is a school that reflects the very “relationships, receptiveness and responsiveness” that Sauce himself cites as the foundation of his leadership. He didn’t just manage a school that earned this award; he built the culture that made it possible. This is the caliber of leader DeKalb has in its midst.

In the context of the previous superintendent’s alleged financial and ethical failures, Sauce’s integrity and longevity within the DeKalb system are not just resume points — they are his bedrock.

He is not an outsider with a hidden past or a consultant’s short-term plan. He is a known quantity. His career, from principal of Chamblee High to area superintendent and chief of student services, has been an open book, written in the classrooms and hallways of this very district. There are no federal indictments or mysterious backgrounds, only a consistent record of service.

Sauce provides the opposite. He understands DeKalb’s unique strengths, its persistent challenges and the intricate fabric of its communities. He does not need a year to “learn the district”; he is already its product and its steward. He can provide immediate, stable leadership without the costly and disruptive circus of a national search.

Sauce’s philosophy, rooted in the “Results Pyramid,” demonstrates a leader who thinks systemically and acts collaboratively. He knows that to achieve the results we all want — higher achievement, safer schools and fiscally sound management — we must first create the right experiences for students, teachers and families to shape their beliefs and actions. This is the antithesis of a top-down, command-and-control leader. This is a leader who builds from the ground up.

The message we send our children now is paramount. After a crisis of character, we must show them that we value trust, consistency and proven commitment. We must demonstrate that true leadership is not about a flashy title but about showing up every day with empathy and honesty.

The DeKalb County Board of Education made a wise and necessary decision in appointing Norman Sauce as acting superintendent. The next step is to remove “acting” from his title.

Let us choose a leader we have already vetted through his years of service, a leader of proven excellence and unwavering integrity. Let us choose continuity over chaos and place our trust in Sauce to guide DeKalb’s students and schools toward a stable and successful future.