Three DeKalb school chief finalists: All run much smaller districts
Did a quick search and rundown of the three finalists for DeKalb school chief: Here is some background on each of them:
Arthur Culver
Arthur Culver: He is the superintendent in Champaign, Illinois and has been suggested in the Illinois media as a candidate for the Chicago’s school chief job.
In 2009, the Champaign school board voted 4-3 to extend his contract. In 2007, the board extended Culver’s contract from four years to five. According to the local newspaper, Culver earns $226,049 a year.
Culver had been school chief in the Longview Independent School in Texas. (Here is a story about a controversy that followed Culver from Texas to Illinois.)
Culver came from Texas to Champaign in 2002. According to the newspaper in East Center Illinois, the News-Gazette, “Since then, he’s had his hands full trying to meet the requirements of a consent decree negotiated before his arrival that is aimed at improving the performance of minority students. He’s done a good job, so it’s understandable a board majority would want to show its appreciation.”
Lillie Cox
Dr. Lillie Cox: Became superintendent of Hickory Public Schools in 2009, the first female in the job. At the time, she was 37 and the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at Alamance-Burlington School System in Alamance County. Hickory hired her for a four-year contract at a base salary of $145,000. She is a former high school and middle school teacher as well as a principal and assistant principal. (See Hickory Dail Record story on her hiring.)
At the time, Sarah Talbert, school board chairwoman, told the Hickory Daily Record: “We had two interviews with Dr. Cox — one long one and one short one,” she said. “Her experience, vision, drive and demeanor set her apart.”
Her quote at time: “It seemed like the right time and the right place. The board has a dedication to diversity and ensuring that all backgrounds are successful.”
Gloria Davis
Dr. Gloria Davis: Became school chief in Decatur, Ill., in 2oo6. She came from Dodge City, Kan., where she has been superintendent since 2001. Davis was the first African-American female school district superintendent in Kansas.
She was hired in Illinois at an annual salary of $175,000. When she was hired in 2006, Jan Mandernach, Decatur school board president, told the Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois: “She has all the qualities we were looking for in a superintendent and meets the criteria identified by the community. She has a lot of energy and experience in working with groups in a community to build consensus.”
Why she took the job in Illinois: “One was the location. I’m a St. Louis native, and my mother and brothers and other family members still live there. The other was the school district in terms of the goals the district had set for furthering academic achievement and the quality of community as it relates to continuing to have a quality school system.”
An educator for 36 years, Davis began as a teacher, She was an elementary and middle school principal before becoming an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the University City School District in the St. Louis area. She holds a master’s degree in educational administration and a doctorate in educational administration and policy-making at St. Louis University.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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89 comments Add your comment
Enclave
March 29th, 2011
8:59 pm
It’ll be Culver or Davis, they’re the ones with the only qualification that matters. Look @ the photos.
SW
March 29th, 2011
9:16 pm
I guess another thing to consider is who will actually ACCEPT the position if offered. Apparently, Mr. Culver is being considered for a major post in Chicago. I would suspect he would probably accept that position over the on in Dekalb. If Ms. Davis truly wants to stay close to family, that may come into play (unless the money closes the distance). Dr. Cox is ambitious and may see the position as a challenge. the question is, will the offer be made to her?
oldtimer
March 29th, 2011
9:47 pm
It will not be made to Cox..If it is within one year she will be gone…
Sara
March 29th, 2011
9:55 pm
So many nattering nabobs of negativity!!!!!
Echo
March 29th, 2011
9:56 pm
On the DCSS websiteit refers to MS. Davis not DR. Davis and I didn’t see any information about her earning a doctorate. I can say that it at least appears that all of these candidates have ACTUAL degrees from some pretty top notch universities. Sure beats all the Nova & other online degrees I keep seeing on administrator resumes. And none of them are from Georgia…that is a very good thing. Still can’t figure out why anyone would want to be a superintendent or even a school level administrator!
Top School
March 29th, 2011
9:58 pm
Much has changed in our society since 2001…
Children today are exposed to much more technology at a younger age.
Teachers/ Administrators that have not been in the classroom for the last 10 years need to be carefully scrutinized. From 2001 to the present most of the focus has been placed on testing…and teaching the test. Few have ideas on motivating creative teachers to stay in the classroom to help and encourage an atmosphere that embraces the love of learning for a lifetime. Currently, students, teachers/administrators leave education with the mentality of a bubble sheet and a number 2 pencil and believing this one aspect spells success.
Make sure these new administrators…focus on a new idea…these schools do not need more of the same dictator leadership that favors those teachers/administrators that spit out the highest test scores.
Look for honest ethical leadership that builds the communities they are teaching with more than a score…
Ranking test scores and schools will only produce more dishonest, unethical and corrupt leadership.
http://www.TopPublicSchoolCorruptionAtlanta.com
realist
March 29th, 2011
10:02 pm
If you are going to get a superintendent who has ever made a hard decision, you are going to get one with “baggage.” Just make sure the controversy was for getting rid of somebody who needed to go and not for something like taking money or lying to the public. Seen enough of that. Controversy doesn’t bother me, but lack of integrity and incompetence do. I don’t care that Culver fired a coach. I read the article on his 4-3 vote. It was for an extension of his contract to 5 years, not on whether or not to keep him. The newspaper editorial said that he had done a good job and deserved it.He seems to have convictions. Davis and Cox seem to have really good intentions, but has less than two years experience as a superintendent. Davis seems full of hearts and flowers, but may be stronger in the forum. I am going and hope to see responses to tough questions.
Maureen Downey
March 29th, 2011
11:03 pm
@Echo, On the DeKalb announcement, she is Dr. Davis. I also read a state of Illinois document that called her Dr. I know that in 2005, she was working toward her doctorate. I would assume she might be done by now.
Maureen
Atlanta Teacher
March 29th, 2011
11:33 pm
I am not impressed Dekalb with your three candidates. Keep looking. Atlanta, looks like the search for a new Supt is going to be real difficult. But seeing Beverly Hall getting the heck out of the ATL with her gang is truly a blessing!! Can she leave today already?
Exteacher
March 30th, 2011
12:25 am
wow…I am….amazed. So little experience and racially stacked.Hate to be this way- but expect the choice of one of the black candidates who will be taken into the folds of the incredibly inept, bloated, overpaid, crony ridden and corrupt administration that already operates in this chocolate city. Business as usual. I am even surprised they offered up a token white candidate. Don’t expect the powers that be to shot themselves in the foot. Nothing will actually get done unless they clean the house of the crooks that already run the show. And they paid for this??? DeKalb is doomed. Atlanta and Clayton, make room!
catlady
March 30th, 2011
7:15 am
I am wondering how deep the candidate pool was on this? I mean, the viable candidate pool. Ms. Downey, can you find out how many apps survived first scrutiny?
I sat on a search for an administrative position at a 2 year college. This was at a college with a very tiny racial minority. We were told, after we came back with the best of the rather poor set of candidates, that we HAD to have a black candidate, although we drew few responses from black applicants and none of them had even the basic qualifications for the position. The head of the search, the VP for Student Affairs, ended up quitting after the experience, it left that bad a taste in his mouth.
Really, why would anyone want to come to Dekalb? It is in a mess every possible way. If it had something positive going on, it would be different, but in no area that I can see does it have something to build on.
catlady
March 30th, 2011
7:19 am
I am NOT saying there are not some good teachers, good students, active parents, good facilities. But I am saying the negatives far outweigh the positives, as a whole.
Cere
March 30th, 2011
7:43 am
The discussion is always black and white, however, DeKalb now has more Hispanic students than white. Are there no Hispanic administrators available anywhere?
www.honeyfern.org
March 30th, 2011
7:55 am
From this little bit, they sound exactly the same. Same tired lines and soundbites.
A Conservative Voice
March 30th, 2011
8:40 am
You know, I see no earthly reason why anyone in their right mind would want this job. DCSS has so many problems, beginning with the BOE and their racist nature, that no matter who is chosen, nothing they do will make any difference whatsoever. Good parenting is the key to a good educational system and in some sections of DeKalb County, for the most part, good parenting obviously doesn’t exist. This is ruining the DeKalb County I grew up in……my advice for parents with school age children…..”get out of DeKalb County as soon as possible”…..it’s not only the schools with a problem, it’s the whole county, it’s been going downhill for years and with the bond rating near “Junk Status”, either your taxes will continue to rise (which will “not” better your school system) or services will decline, including the school system. As for the search, my prediction is the board will stick with the present supt. who is overpaid and underqualified.
Double Zero Eight
March 30th, 2011
8:46 am
Grady Hospital was a mess. The board surprised everyone and
got the best candidate. He happened to be white. He has proven
to be the right person for the job.
It should not matter if the person is black or white. The board should
select the best candidate. In my opinion, the choice is between the
two candidates with the doctorate. The head administrator of any large
school system should have a doctorate degree. Many of the principals
and administrators that the superintendent will be leading have attained
their doctorate degree. Their is no plausible explanation that can be
rendered as to why Mr. Culver should not have a doctorate.
It would have been better to have a candidate from a comparable sized
school system. I fear that the individual selected may be somewhat
overwhelmed with the problems that beset a school system of this size.
The cronyism and politics involved in Dekalb are significant, and will be
time consuming.
Champaign Resident
March 30th, 2011
8:54 am
http://www.champaignschools.org/hr.html ( look under Administrative Salary and Benefits) You might want to check this site for Culver’s salary which is printed correctly, but he gets a differential of $3000 plus a huge benefit package. You also might want to check and see if he has PHD yet. Last I knew he didn’t have one.
champaign resident
March 30th, 2011
9:01 am
Culver came to Champaign to end a Federal Consent degree that was draining the budget of millions of dollars a year. He did it. The District had overspent the budget for 10 years. He stopped it and built the district’s bond ratings. The buildings were crumbling, and we passed a referendum to start rebuilding. I think we pay him too much, but I don’t really care if he has a doctorate. This is a University town, and we have a lot of idiots with doctorates. Hire a superintendent who can do the job.
Bevo Buddy
March 30th, 2011
9:06 am
Funny, Champaign res, I was about to say the same thing. Someone told me our old Longview sup was up for this job. He shook some things up here, but he got the job done. The folks who were good at their jobs loved him…others not so much. As for that Randall Coggin thing, read the fifth circuit opinion, don’t listen to Randle. The school district didn’t lose because they were wrong about firing him for what he did, they lost because the board didn’t give him a hearing after he missed the deadline. Their attorney told them to do that. Money well spent.
Cherry Henson Freeman Halford
March 30th, 2011
9:39 am
Looks to me that Culver may be on this blog trying to defend himself (ala “Bevo Buddy” & others). I don’t think any of the three candidates are the right person to lead DeKalb out of its doldrums. If I were forced to take one, I would take Cox, but I don’t think that the institutional racism (and it’s just as bad among black-majority institutions as it is among white-majority institutions) will allow the board members to select a white woman, although she appears to have the best credentials and the least question marks on her career.
Susan Curtis
March 30th, 2011
9:55 am
@Cere – There was a terrific Latina asst. superintendent in the Charlotte-Mecklenberg school system – she came with the super, Pete Gorman (who would have been a good choice) from Florida. I’m still trying to recall her name – I believe that she moved on to bigger and better things.
Yup
March 30th, 2011
10:24 am
Dr. Lillie (white) Cox doesn’t stand a chance. Don’t need diversity here – we need some the students can relate to.
Earl of Ft. Liquordale
March 30th, 2011
10:45 am
Abe and Eli have already established the DeKalb Selection Gamblelation down here in the used condo in Fort Liquordale. They have been taking wagers since yesterday evening at supper. Thus far, the wager is 4 to 1 against Dr. Lillie Cox being selected. Abe says, “Heck, I’d have a better chance of being selected the next president of the Pompano Beach Skinheads!” It’s 3 to 2 odds against Mr. Arthur Culver being selected. As easier as it is to earn a doctorate on-line these days, and Mr. Culver still doesn’t have on? Wasn’t he also working in Champaign, Illinois, home of a university? What’s his problem? Finally, the Able & Eli team has the odds at 1 to 1 that Dr. Gloria Davis will be chosen. Some person (or persons) probably already knows her. Will she be beholden to Eugene Walker or some other person? Eli says: “Somebody on that school board knows this lady. That’s why they put a white lady in the mix and a black man with no doctorate. Then, she looks like the most viable. Plus, DeKalb has never had a woman superintendent, and this will be a story in and or itself. But, don’t count out that Mark Elgart guy. His ringer in the mix may be the Cox lady. But, as it stands, our early birds are putting their bets on Davis.”
So, there you have it. The latest update on “DeKalb Watch” down here at the condo. Little Miss Spielman was overhear saying at supper last night, “They could do a Tennesse Williams novel on that Dee-Kalb County.”
justbrowsing
March 30th, 2011
11:20 am
I think Dr. Cox would be excellent for the district. I believe that she could bring a new perspective and creative ideas and methods for addressing the issues plaguing Dekalb County Schools. Culver also has a great deal of experience that should not be overlooked. He has also weathered a few storms, which makes him battle ready. I can see either Culver or Cox. I am not too sure about Ms. Davis.
Patricia Gripper
March 30th, 2011
11:48 am
I am personally sorely disappointed with this list of potential candidates. Why? #1. They are all former classroom teachers. The sheer size of the DCSS budget as well as the total number of employees really dictates that a classroom teacher is not equipped to manage these important areas. #2. Then you add all of the very serious problems which must be adequately addressed, i.e., the nepotism, the friends and family employment approach, the sheer number of nonteaching administrators who wantonly discipline students in the southern part of the county. This creates “problem students” for the short term which gives the appearance of being tough on discipline making the administrators’ performance seem competent when in fact the student is being libeled short term but in the long run may eventually drop out or when it comes time to go on the post secondary education unable to find scholarship funds. #3. The DCSS staff must be reminded that they have jobs because the students exist and not the other way around. I continually hear it said that DCSS is all about the students, but when you take a close look, this far from truth. #4. DeKalb County has a disfunctional school board because of the apathy of its voters. Voters need to be informed prior to voting about the issues and the candidates. We must cease voting for people who claim to be interested in moving the school system forward, but whose real agenda is to: find employment for family members, use the position as a springboard for political office elsewhere, placement of “brown nosing” subordinates who are not qualified to hold the position, etc. #5 No we do not need nor do we want another internal candidate. So the interim supt., cut from the same cloth as Lewis, does not need to be considered. Internal candidates fail to have any real vision for the system beyond what’s in it for me personally this is especially true of Morcease Beasley about whom it can only be said was totally self serving. There have been enough internal candidates to last a lifetime and do not need another one now. These candidates do not appear ready to grapple with the challenges which currently exists in DCSS. Are we not offering enought salary money to get someone with some of the requiste background? You do not have to have been or be a teacher in order to be superintendent. But to manage a budget of the magnitude of DCSS’s you need to have REAL corporate experience along with a view of the BIG picture. Capable asst.
supt(s) can complement the business acumen. The school board went shopping in the wrong store!
Dr. John Trotter
March 30th, 2011
12:27 pm
The DeKalb Board of Education has a Nieman Marcus budget but did indeed shop at Goodwill. Nothing wrong with Goodwill. I go there myself…the one in Newnan, next to my other favorite stores, Dollar General and Big Lots. I call this area my Discount Shopping Center. But, I agree with the above poster who says that “[t]he school board went shopping in the wrong store!” If you have the budget the size of DeKalb’s and are willing to offer a huge salary/benefits package, why are you only able to come up with 12th Rounders of the Draft? You need to go back to the drawing board. I am not dissing these candidates per se. They’re just not of the caliber to lead a huge school system the size of DeKalb. But, I have always said that good administrators these days a few and far between. I truly think that we are now of a generation or genre of administrators who have always been around poor administrators. They have never seen, as a student or as a professional, a well-run school with administrators with character, mettle, and integrity. Are there no Elijahs or Elishas out there? Have all bowed down to the altar of Baal?
Dekalb taxpayer
March 30th, 2011
1:39 pm
Dr. Cox might actually be qualified but the board would chew her up and spit her out.
I don’t care whether a candidate has a doctorate or not—but I do care whether they pass themselves off as having one that they in fact haven’t completed.
CMC
March 30th, 2011
4:35 pm
No politicians from Illinois. They have the most corrupt governments–from state to local–in the country. This is the best they can come up with? We will end up with another superintendent running the place like his/her personal fiefdom. Expensive cars, extra security and more money than the three candidates are worth. I am sure these choices will wow the acceditation organization.
Mitch
March 30th, 2011
4:51 pm
It is sad that Georgia does not product School Superintendent material. Our University System has not been updated for eighty years but surely someone, somewhere is capable of managing a school system locally.
Private school guy
March 30th, 2011
5:40 pm
I will support anyone who promises to clean out the administration of DeKalb schools. The system is so complex that I doubt any other these candidates can sort out the confusion. All three come from small systems that do not have as many special schools and programs as DeKalb. By the looks of the school boards of the candidates districts I feel Cox’s most looks like DeKalb’s but I doubt she will be picked. The other issue is how are salaries determined. Locally I think it’s crazed that APS with half the students as DeKalb pays one third more for a super.
M
March 30th, 2011
5:43 pm
We shall see Thursday that all three selections are just a smokescreen for the candidate that the board want, Ms. Tyson. The candidates are actually being used for the purpose of the board and that is to get Ms. Tyson. I am an African American and I would like very much to see a person of a different race than our usual African American candidates. I am sorry, but the leadership that we have received from our African American superintendents is what led us to the mess we have now. So, the board and DeKalb citizentry should look beyond Dr. Cox’s skin color. Sometimes great experiences can make a person’s creativity and zeal to achieve stale because they think that they already know everything and is not open to anything new.
I was involved in pushing the M-to-M years ago. I was so frustrated with trying to get the school system to equalize the resources in South DeKalb (teachers, programs, books & materials) that I agreed to the idea that we had to transport our kids out of our neighborhoods to be able to utilize the same resources as North DeKalb. Defendant Crawford Lewis was then slipping and telling the group what really was going on inside the school system. However, I think that I personally owe African American parents and children a sincere apology because we worked so hard for leadership positions for folks of color. We thought that our people would have our black children educational interest as a priority. Not all, but the great majority have not. All we did was make a way for a black group of croonies to setup in the school system and their leadership unfortunately have been worse. Count my vote for consideration of Dr. Cox and say that without an apology.
Me too
March 30th, 2011
6:42 pm
I say – Seriously ask Ramona Tyson to stay on board as Superintendent. She has already brought some stability to the system and has begun to make some positive changes in only one year! Although, she may not be interested since she has a young family.
In researching all candidates Dr. Cox appears to be the most qualified but there is no way the school board will choose a white person. I find it very troubling that this is the best of all the candidates. The total of all the students in each of the districts among the three applicants is less than the number of DeKalb’s students. That is a concern.
say what?
March 30th, 2011
7:26 pm
Based on info googled, Dr. Cox appears to be the best of the 3 candidates, but South DeKalb would be in an uproar over a white woman being in charge of “their” children. M and Me,too- I concur. This will be difficult and I hope that many parents will attend, and if you cannot attend view it on PDS or stream it live. There is no reason the parents of 99k children cannot participate by listening, then contacting their board members. Parent participation should be proactive not reactive, as has been in the last 2 years.
another comment
March 30th, 2011
8:40 pm
How much outright reverse racism can we see from Dekalb County Blacks over having the possibility of a white super. Just like in Atlanta the all out forces and the the illegal votes to make sure that Mary Norwood did not win the Mayor’s race. Well the same thing happened in New Orleans until Mitch Landrue kept trying and trying and finally won as a white mayor of a majority black city.
tired of the us and them
March 30th, 2011
11:09 pm
How about hiring the best candidate? How about not worrying about color, but about experience and credentials? How about keeping an open mind until they get a chance to be seen and heard? How about monitoring the board and calling them if they don’t do what they are elected to do? These are OUR schools.
Will Pitts
April 1st, 2011
9:49 am
Being from Decatur, IL I am interested to see what was being said about my current Supt. Gloria Davis. It appears that your district has issues that I wouldn’t want any part of. I am a middle school teacher and can tell you that Gloria is quite political because to be honest, a supt. has to be. You have to negotiate staff, parents, administrators, community activists and all of the state regulations and political figures. Gloria is very honest, upfront, and what you see is what you get. She is also very willing to listen to all people in the room, I know that from having worked with her, and then she makes decisive decisions, that are always made from the perspective of what is right for kids..not for adults.I haven’t always agreed with her. But I do respect her..Amazingly most of these comments focus on race, I am a white male social studies teacher. Your district would be lucky to get her.
Maureen Downey
April 1st, 2011
10:03 am
@Will, Race factors into far too many discussions on this blog. I felt that your superintendent — is she Dr. Davis? — came across as well equipped to handle the politics and the intrigues of DeKalb. She and the other candidates made it clear that children were the first consideration and that is what DeKalb needs. They all seemed grounded and focused.
Maureen
Add it up
April 3rd, 2011
3:28 pm
There is a mistake in this article. If you check it out. Culver received an extension in 2010 that takes his contract in Champaign to 2014. Where do these “facts” come from? I found that online.
Suavez
April 3rd, 2011
9:41 pm
@Will-
Hopefully you get to keep her.