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Big-City School Districts Address Post-Election Uncertainty

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Big-City School Districts Address Post-Election Uncertainty SPECIAL EDITION Fall Conference • New Leader in D.C., p.3 ANNIVERSARY • Voters Weigh In, p.4 LEGISLATIVE • Expectations, Speculations, p.10 The Nation’s Voice for Urban Education November/December 2016 Vol. 25, No. 8 www.cgcs.org Big-City School Districts Address Post-Election Uncertainty In one of the most contentious and divi- The majority of students in the Des sive presidential campaigns in U.S. history, Moines school system are students of color, Americans reacted with surprise, fear, anxi- and they represent more than 100 different ety and joy following the Nov. 8 election of nations. More than one out of five students business mogul Donald Trump as the na- are English language learners. tion’s 45th president. “The rhetoric of this past election has While former secretary of state Hill- caused many concerns and divisions among Eric Holder ary Clinton won the popular vote count, them, their friends and their families,” the Trump’s electoral college victory was hard Des Moines school district posted in an Former Attorney to swallow by many Americans. online “For the Record” article. A number of urban public school dis- tricts immediately reached out to their Supporting Students General Addresses staffs, faculties, students and parents to address their emotions and uncertainty of The San Diego Unified School District Urban Educators what might lie ahead with a Trump admin- is planning a countywide rally Dec. 14 to istration. support students and their families who MIAMI--Eric Holder’s worst expe- In a letter addressed “Dear Boston may feel vulnerable following the recent rience as attorney general of the United Public Schools Family,” Superintendent presidential election. “We want every child States occurred at a school. In 2012, Hold- Tommy Chang noted, “The coming days in San Diego, California, and the nation er, who held the position from 2009 to and weeks may be challenging for many, to know that schools are safe places, where 2015, visited Sandy Hook Elementary in and celebratory for others. As educators, you are welcome, no matter your religious Newtown, Conn., a few days after a gun- we should use this opportunity as a teach- background, gender identity or country of man killed 20 students and six adults. He able moment to have conversations with national origin,” said Superintendent Cin- recalled walking into a crime scene that our students about the democratic process, dy Marten in a press statement. had not yet been cleaned up, with blood on how we can resolve differences and con- Election Uncertainty continued on page 5 the walls and photos of the students that flicts, and how we can address diverse and died, and thanking first responders and sometimes conflicting ideology.” crime scene search officers, many of them grizzled veterans who were crying. Student Concerns When he came back to Washington, D.C., he talked with President Barack The divisive rhetoric during the cam- Obama and Vice President Joe Biden about paign and the surprising outcome sparked implementing gun control. “I thought we protests from students in schools and col- had a basis for getting effective gun safety leges around the nation. The day after the measures; that was my biggest failure as election, students at all high schools in Io- attorney general,” said Holder. “Not hav- wa’s Des Moines Public Schools took part Students in Des Moines took part in a protest ing the ability, in spite of what happened in a protest to voice their concerns about to voice their concerns about the outcome of the election results and to express their the recent presidential election. Photo credit: Council Conference continued on page 6 support for each other. Phil Roeder/Des Moines Public Schools INSIDE THE COUNCIL NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Cleveland Schools CEO Named Urban Educator of the Year MIAMI--When Eric Gordon began his tenure in 2011 as the chief executive officer of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, he was told by many peo- ple that he wouldn’t be able to tackle the challenges facing him. But under his leadership, the district implemented a ground-breaking reform initiative called The Cleveland Plan, and has experienced higher graduation rates and an increase in student enrollment for the first time in decades. As a result, Gordon was recently pre- sented with the Green-Garner Award at the Council of the Great City Schools’ 60th Annual Fall Conference here. Sponsored by the Council, ARA- MARK Education and Scholastic, Inc., the award is the nation’s highest honor Cleveland Schools CEO Eric Gordon gives remarks after being named the winner of the Green- Garner Award. for urban education leadership. It is named for Richard Green, the first Afri- fellow nominees, staff and school board choice in the Cleveland school system. can American chancellor of the New York and recalled how his wife gave him a card City School system, and Edward Garner, that hangs in his office of a shark plow- Queen Smith Award a businessman and former school board ing through concrete. “It’s become my president of the Denver Public Schools. personal emblem of what it means to do Johanna Lopez, a Spanish teacher for Upon accepting the award, Gordon, this work.” 17 years at Colonial High School in Flor- who jokingly referred to himself as the As the winner of the Green-Garner ida’s Orange County Public Schools in Susan Lucci of the Green-Garner Award Award, Gordon will receive a $10,000 Orlando, was the recipient of the Queen for being a four-time finalist, thanked his scholarship to present to a graduate of his Urban Educator continued on page 8 Executive Director Editor Associate Editor Staff Writer Michael Casserly Henry Duvall Tonya Harris Darrell Robinson [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Council officers A newsletter published by the Council of the Great City Schools, representing 70 of the nation’s largest urban public school districts. Chair Felton Williams Albuquerque Charlotte Fort Worth Miami-Dade Palm Beach Santa Ana Board Member, Long Beach Anchorage Chicago Fresno Milwaukee Philadelphia Seattle Chair-elect Arlington, TX Cincinnati Greensboro Minneapolis Pinellas Co. Shelby Co. Darienne Driver Atlanta Clark Co. Hawaii Nashville Pittsburgh St. Louis Superintendent, Milwaukee Austin Cleveland Houston New Orleans Portland St. Paul Baltimore Columbus Indianapolis New York City Providence Tampa Secretary-Treasurer Birmingham Dallas Jackson Newark Richmond Toledo Lawrence Feldman Boston Dayton Jacksonville Norfolk Rochester Tulsa Board Member, Miami-Dade Bridgeport Denver Kansas City Oakland Sacramento Washington DC Broward Co. Des Moines Long Beach Oklahoma City San Antonio Wichita Buffalo Detroit Los Angeles Omaha San Diego Charleston El Paso Louisville Orange Co. San Francisco All news items should be submitted to: Find the Council on: Urban Educator Council of the Great City Schools 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Suite 1100N • Washington, DC 20004 (202) 393-2427 • (202) 393-2400 (fax) 2 | URBAN EDUCATOR URBAN EDUCATOR | 3 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 INSIDE THE COUNCIL Council Math, Science D.C. Names New Schools Chancellor; Scholars Excelling Jackson, Miss. Leader Departs In Career Pursuits District of Columbia Mayor Muriel tendent, and at every level, he has been suc- Bowser recently named Antwan Wilson, cessful,” Mayor Bowser said in a statement. In 2010, four graduating high school superintendent Wilson became superintendent of the seniors –- three from different states -- of California’s Oakland school system in 2014, and previ- shared something in common: winning the Oakland Uni- ously served for six years as assistant super- first ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math fied School Dis- intendent for post-secondary readiness in and Science Scholarships awarded by the trict, to lead the Denver Public Schools. Council of the Great City Schools. school system They competed among students in 65 in the nation’s Jackson Leadership big-city school districts across the nation capital. in a scholarship program created to assist He is expect- Superintendent Cedrick Gray of Jack- students of diverse backgrounds who plan Antwan Wilson ed to become son Public Schools has stepped down after to pursue science, technology, engineer- the chancellor of leading the Mississippi district since 2012. ing and math (STEM) studies after high District of Columbia Public Schools Feb. He had recently been named Superin- school. 1, taking the reins from interim chancellor tendent of the Year by the National As- So, after six years, what are these schol- John Davis, who took the helm in October sociation of School Superintendents, and ars doing today? following Kaya Henderson’s five-year ten- served on the Council of the Great City Urban Educator caught up with three ure in leading Washington’s 49,000-stu- Schools’ Executive Committee. of them, and found they are excelling in dent school district. Frederick Murray, the Jackson district’s their career pursuits – and the scholarships “In his 20 plus years in education, Ant- chief academic officer for high schools, has helped. wan Wilson has been a teacher, a principal, been named interim superintendent. Sarah Edris, who an assistant superintendent and a superin- graduated in 2010 from the School of K.C. and St. Louis Districts Reach Accreditation the Talented and Gifted in the Dallas For the first time in nearly 30 years, has taken focus, determination, dedication Independent School Kansas City Public Schools earned the and a willingness to change and think out- District, is now in points necessary for full accreditation un- side the box.” London, working as der the Missouri School Improvement a software engineer. Sarah Edris Program. Top Florida Leader “I was really In announcing the recent development, lucky to have it {the scholarship}. It helped Superintendent Mark Bedell said, “Credit Superintendent to fully fund college,” she says in a phone goes to our students, teachers, parents, sup- Barbara Jenkins of the interview from London, indicating that port staff and leadership team, who have Orange County Public she has no student loans to pay off.
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