Students question finalists for DPS superintendent job
Candidates say they want to make district more student-centered.
A panel of 12 students from Dayton Public elementary, middle and high schools on Monday “grilled” the three candidate finalists interviewing to be the district’s next superintendent.
The students’ questions ranged from how their fellow classmates would be involved in administrative decision-making in the future
at the candidates would do to help long-term substitute teachers, and how they would be visible in school buildings.
The board of education will choose a finalist among three candidates: David Lawrence, the interim superintendent at Dayton Public Schools; Alesia Smith, chief of schools for Cincinnati Public Schools; and H. Allen Smith II, school system leader in Mansfield, Texas.
The board also interviewed the finalists Monday in an executive session that was not open to the public. A group of parents and caregivers was expected to interview the candidates Monday evening. The next board meeting is a review session scheduled for Feb. 13, and a business meeting is scheduled for Feb. 20.
The finalists all told the students their priorities were listening and involving students in decision-making, finding a way to create a more equitable school system, and making sure teachers had the professional development needed to teach the students. All three candidates were asked why they wanted to be superintendent.
Alesia Smith pointed to her work improving Cincinnati Public Schools and Pulaski County Special School District in Little Rock, Arkansas. In Little Rock, she led the schools to higher achievement ratings and higher ACT scores.
Cincinnati has also seen
improvement. In the 202223 state report card for Cincinnati Public, 62% of the elementary schools earned three stars or above on the state report card in the overall rating and 74% of the elementary schools received three stars or higher on the progress part of the state report card.
“I’ve been in Dayton before and I did some work here, and it was just a warm feeling when I walked into the schools, and I think that given an opportunity to be the superintendent I will create environments that support the principals to create environments that you would love being at school,” she said.
Allen Smith said he wanted to be superintendent because of his roots in Dayton and his long track record of being a school leader. He’s worked in school districts from North Carolina to California, he said. He currently is a school system leader in Mansfield, Texas, but has also worked in Denver Public Schools and KIPP Texas-San Antonio, a charter school system in Texas.
“My goal has been to help you all be able to see and dream with your eyes open,” he said.
Dayton interim superintendent David Lawrence said if named to the position, he wants to keep the focus on the students.
“No matter what happens, I want my team to focus on the kids every day,” he said. “And there are lots of people trying to stop us from doing that.”
The finalists were asked about getting kids involved with decision-making at the district level. Lawrence pointed to the superintendent advisory council he’d created — something that Alesia Smith said she was also interested in having — and the many visits to schools where he’d talked to kids.
Alesia Smith said she’d created book clubs to meet with students in the past.
Allen Smith said he is rethinking how the chain of communication works. Instead of going to talk to teachers and principals, he said speaking directly to kids and using technology could be ways to integrate student decision-making.
The students asked about long-term substitute teachers and what help could be given to teachers to make them better. All three said teachers need time for professional development and the support needed to do their jobs.
Allen Smith said at previous jobs, he’s worked to foster environments where people feel connected.
“That’s what I’ve been able to do in other communities and other school districts that I’ve worked in is create and foster a culture of belonging, where teachers and adults and young people feel agency,” he said.
Lawrence noted that under his leadership, the district doubled the number of professional development days to six, and the leadership team is proposing a calendar with up to 10 professional development days next year.
Lawrence said the district also plans to offer opportunities for the people who are long-term subs to become fully licensed teachers.
Alesia Smith said she also wanted to see more professional development for teachers, but as for longterm substitutes, she suggested creating a cohort so the long-term substitute teachers have additional support.
“I think we draw teachers back by letting them know that they’re valued, that we care about them,” she said. “I think we celebrate them for the hard work that they’re doing.”
The candidates asked students questions at the end of their interviews. All three of the candidates asked the students what they would like to see in their next superintendent.
Students said they’d like to see someone who showed up to their schools and was visible, someone who listened to the students’ needs and gave students more opportunities.
Robyn Patterson, a Ponitz Career Technology student, said it was important to her and for her teachers to know the superintendent.
“If we have ideas, we won’t have the opportunity all the time to talk about them without a connection to the students,” Patterson said. “So I feel like the connection with the students, that’s very important.”
Aneya Ward, a Thurgood Marshall High School student, said she wanted the next superintendent to give opportunities.
Ward said she is very involved but would like to see it be easier for students to join programs.
“I would like for you to give kids more opportunities to get into programs,” she said.
When asked why they liked going to school, the students said they appreciated their teachers most of all.
Quri Barber, a Charity Adams Elementary School for Girls student, said her teachers, friends and principal made her school experience better.
“What I love most about my school probably is the kindness that is in my school,” she said.
Other students agreed. “The reason why I love to go to school is because when you walk in, everybody greets you, will care about you and (be) happy to see you,” said Simri Dubon Lopez, a sixth grade student at Kaiser Elementary School.