What a new Chester Upland leader must do
To apply for one of the most challenging districts in the commonwealth can be a daunting thought. Within the last 12 years, the Chester Upland School District has had a total of nine interim and full-time superintendents. Being hired will be tantamount to entering the twilight zone with insurmountable academic and financial problems, a politically infested system, breeding ground for poverty pimps, an abbreviated honeymoon with the school board and cleaning up the residuals from a revolving door of seat warmers at the helm. As one who spent nearly 40 years in the district, I can honestly say CUSD has an undiagnosed personality disorder. Nonetheless, it is paramount the superintendent be familiarize with the rich history of this district and understand why it is this way and not just see its current ills and woes.
The credential most paramount is the new hires’ proven record of turning an urban district around. CUSD tends to favor applicants who need on-thejob training. The last superintendent was known to put his finger in subordinate’s faces, the home-grown one didn’t practice the Golden Rule, “To do Unto Others as You Have Them do Unto you” and before this one, the superintendent created an environment of intimidation and threatened jobs without merit. What are the reasons for such behaviors — inexperience, insecurity and arrogance?
This revolving door has contributed to an emotionally bankrupt staff who are counting the days to find another job or retire, and after five years without a contract had to accept one with no options. Most veteran teachers left with broken hearts, feeling unappreciated and defeated. This superintendent will need to be empathetic to these feelings and not give lip service that their door is always opened while shutting the door once settled and becoming insulated. This superintendent must be prepared for the staff’s skepticism when an ear is extended to their feat. On the other hand, he/she must be ready to use legal discernment to remove staff who are non-productive as well as incensed with those who are lingering to fatten their pensions; leaving these students uneducated and doomed towards a fast track to jail, while they enjoy the fruits of their pension checks. “When people are held accountable and feet put to the fire and they don’t want to perform, they leave” (Charlotte Hummel, William Penn Board Member). Gary Gerson (Pittsburgh-based criminal defense attorney) summed it up (Delcotimes 3/21/17), “It starts with education to combat the city’s crime rate; we’ve got to help students reach their potential to become productive citizens.”
To improve staff morale, the superintendent should have the principals do a climate needs assessment and work together on areas needing improvement. Philosophically, one can be good by oneself, but not great and with accountability comes the responsibility to provide the employees with the resources needed to get their job done.
An honest look at the dominant race of the staff compared to the student population must be addressed. However, race should not be an issue when determining if the applicant even likes children (in loco parentis), can motivate children, make learning fun and have high expectations for all children. As DCIU recruits CUSD’s next superintendent, hopefully they will consider these qualities in their definition of “Most Qualified” (Spirit, ¼/2017).
This superintendent is coming to a district and city that can’t pay its bills. This is an area where one needs to be skillful in establishing partnerships with Businesses outside of the community and erasing past relationships where the district was resistant to accepting help. A former employee, Mrs. Melba Shipley, single handedly got a 10-year commitment from PECO to adopt her school (Toby Farms). So it can be done.
Getting a disengaged community engaged should be an utmost priority in this position. Parental involvement is practically “nil.” Most parents will walk to Harrisburg to see a championship basketball game, but won’t walk across the street to get their child’s report card. It isn’t that the parents don’t care, it’s that they don’t know how to get involved or navigate the corridors of power. One must be innovative in getting funds for parent involvement and not expect parents to run to doors that haven’t been a welcoming sight.
The superintendent is the district’s Instructional leader and must be knowledgeable of current pedagogy, particularly special education regulations and hire needed clinical practitioners to implement special education laws. Data shows that CUSD’s students in the earlier grades have higher scores on state exams than the neighboring charter schools. Results from the federal and state mandated curricula aren’t showing any significant academic gains within the higher grades. To develop a curriculum without a script takes a lot of energy and staff involvement, but must be achieved. The superintendent shouldn’t rely totally on any staffer with all this knowledge, because this dependency gives that person too much authority which leads to a disharmonious environment causing undue stress on the staff.
For years the state Department of Education (PDE) has seen CUSD as an employment troth for their recycled retirees to work in the district as consultants. PDE’s hands off, written off, waste of time and probably wish the district would disappear attitude is ever present and has lead to parents filing multimillion dollar law suits against the district due to PDE’s inadequate oversight.
It is imperative that more demands are put on PDE to do their job.
The greatest challenge will be to bring hope to a community that has lost hope in their educational system.
Can the district attract this individual? Research provides numerous names of educators who have turned urban districts around through nontraditional methods and little money.
Can the district afford this person? Without sounding naïve, “Yes”, there are individuals who expect a comparable salary, but their primary goal is give these students what they deserve, “A decent education.” In my unwritten book “Children Without Voices,” I will demonstrate it can be done. And with Sisters Cathy McGowen and Maggie Gannon’s faith, Delco Times will proclaim on their front page one day, “The success of countless Chester students.” (Delcotimes 3/24/17). Can it be done? Yes it can. Can the stakeholders of this community do it? Yes we can. to