Ferguson-Florissant School District Superintendent
Entry and Transition Plan
Prepared for:
Dr. Joseph Davis
Incoming Superintendent
Prepared by:
Prateek Dutta
Nicole Magnuson
Mark Martin
Sarah McLean
Frances Olajide
Christine Ortiz
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Education Leadership Doctoral Candidates
Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 3 The First 90 Days Framework ................................................................................................... 3 Dr. Davis Preparation, Entry, and Transition Timeline .............................................................. 5 The Story of Self, Us, and Now Framework .............................................................................. 6 CONTEXT ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Ferguson ................................................................................................................................... 7 Missouri ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Ferguson-Florissant School District .......................................................................................... 8 The Role of the Superintendent ................................................................................................ 8 PREPARING FOR THE FIRST 90 DAYS ................................................................................... 10 Understanding Self .................................................................................................................. 10 Transition and Advisory Teams ............................................................................................... 11 Phased Message Platform and Communications Plan ........................................................... 12 Professional History and Personal Background .................................................................. 12 Immediate Priorities ............................................................................................................. 13 Evolving Messaging ............................................................................................................. 13 Practice and Preparation ..................................................................................................... 14 Multi-faceted Communications Plan .................................................................................... 14 90 DAY ENTRY AND TRANSITION ........................................................................................... 15 Priority 1: Ensuring Service Excellence................................................................................... 16 Objectives:............................................................................................................................... 16 The First Day of School ....................................................................................................... 16 Emergency and Crisis Preparedness .................................................................................. 19 Michael Brown Anniversary ................................................................................................. 19 Priority 2: Understanding the Schools, District and Community .............................................. 20 Schools ................................................................................................................................ 21 District .................................................................................................................................. 22 Community........................................................................................................................... 23 Priority 3: Building Relationships and Stakeholder Engagement ............................................ 25 Methods of Engagement...................................................................................................... 26 High Impact Engagement Recommendations ..................................................................... 26 1
BROADER IMPACT OPPORTUNITIES ..................................................................................... 27 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................. 29 Appendix I: First 90 Days by Michael Watkins ........................................................................ 29 Appendix II: The Story of Self, Us and Action ......................................................................... 30 Appendix III: Data Analysis ..................................................................................................... 31 Appendix IV: Stakeholder Engagement ................................................................................. 34 Appendix V: Understanding Structures and Policies of Racism and Discrimination ............... 38 Appendix VI: Racial Reconciliation and Restorative Justice in Schools ................................ 38 Appendix VII: Potential 360-Degree Feedback Formats ........................................................ 40 Question-based: .................................................................................................................. 40 2
INTRODUCTION
Dr. Joseph Davis has the exciting and challenging opportunity to lead the Ferguson-Florissant
School District (FFSD) as the newly appointed superintendent beginning July 1, 2015. As
doctoral candidates in the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Education Leadership
program, we were both honored and humbled to be his advisors and thought partners in
planning his entry and transition into FFSD and the Ferguson community--a community that
continues to be under the national spotlight as it represents our ongoing struggle as a nation to
create a society that is racially integrated, equitable, and just.
Dr. Davis brings significant experience in education as a teacher, principal, associate
superintendent and superintendent within North Carolina and Illinois communities. He has
demonstrated the ability to galvanize resources to improve student achievement as well as build
relationships with key stakeholder groups such as his boards, district and school leaders, and
teachers. Of equal importance, he is deeply committed to his work in education and to
improving opportunities for all students, especially young black men. His personal story of being
raised by his grandmother, navigating the challenges of poverty and race in his own pursuit of
academic achievement and professional success gives him a unique perspective and fuels his
passion for creating schools grounded in excellence and equity.
In order to maximize Dr. Davis’ personal and professional experience, and his interest to have a
long-term impact in FFSD and the broader Ferguson community, this plan is informed by our
team’s professional experiences, conversations with people in the Ferguson community,
counsel from recognized experts in structures of racism and oppression, and frameworks from
Michael Watkin’s The First 90 Days (Appendix I) and Marshall Ganz’s The Story of Self, Us, and
Now (Appendix II).
The First 90 Days Framework
Dr. Davis’s entry and transition into FFSD and the community will lay the foundation for his longterm success as a leader and change agent in Ferguson.
In fact, in The First 90 Days,
transitioning leaders are cautioned: “The actions you take during your first few months in a new
role will largely determine whether you succeed or fail.” Although leaders can and do overcome
entry mistakes, it makes success more difficult, thus missteps are best avoided with thoughtful
pre-planning and course adjustments. As difficult as it may be, the first few months are about
listening deeply, asking thoughtful questions, reflecting, and relationship building. Through the
process, Dr. Davis will be able to identify quick-wins and formulate an informed theory of action.
Watkins also encourages leaders to reach the break even point--that point where they are
adding as much value as they are taking from their organization--as soon as possible. That
said, there are five cautions, which we have integrated into this plan, presented:
Sticking with what you know - Simply stated, what got Dr. Davis here, will not necessarily
get him to where he needs to go with this new position. He can approach his new role
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strategically by reflecting on his personal strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for
growth.
Falling prey to the action imperative - Taking action, or promising action, before he has a
good understanding of the history, people, and current practices in place can work against
Dr. Davis long term.
Setting unrealistic expectations - Making sure his boss(es), in this case the board, are all
on the same page about what will be accomplished in the first 90 days.
Attempting to do too much - There is much to learn and understand in the first 90 days,
so being strategically focused is important to avoid chaos and confusion about his priorities.
It’s important to remember that this is just the start of a long journey.
Coming in with “the” answer - Strong leaders leverage the strengths of the existing
organization and people while looking for opportunities to infuse their own expertise. This is
especially important for Dr. Davis who is coming into a new system as he has much to
learn before he formulates his plan for improvement.
Engaging the wrong type of learning - As superintendent, it will be important for Dr.
Davis to focus on the technical, political, and cultural aspects of his role and FFSD as he
enters and transitions. Too much focus on the technical will results in other key aspects of
learning and leadership.
Neglecting horizontal relationships - FFSD has a variety of stakeholders who are
interested in the success of Ferguson-Florissant students. Seeking out those disparate
voices and cultivating relationships will provide a more informed approach to vision setting,
shared ownership, long-term planning.
Taking these cautions into consideration, our team focuses Dr. Davis on the three key areas
identified in the diagram below as he enters and transitions into FFSD:
In summary, “ensuring service excellence” focuses on understanding FFSD well enough to
ensure the first day of school is seamless across the district (a presumed “kiss of death” for
many superintendents if it does not go well) and formulating any appropriate action around the
Michael Brown shooting anniversary; “understanding self, schools, district, and community”
defines digging into data and current practices, engaging in strategic conversations, and
intentional self-reflection; and “relationship-building and stakeholder engagement” focuses on
short- and long-term involvement by the variety of stakeholders who may be allies, partners,
and champions of Dr. Davis and FFSD’s work. All three of these key areas are expanded upon
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in detail within this plan and are designed to lead Dr. Davis in the direction of formulating an
informed vision and theory of action in which stakeholders feel they have had a voice and now
share ownership in FFSD’s success. Although each area has equal importance, we have
provided a high level timeline which flights many of the activities in order to help Dr. Davis
prioritize his efforts.
In addition, some areas require pre-work in order to ensure he is able to “hit the ground running”
when he officially transitions into his new role on July 1, 2015. The value of the pre-work should
not be minimized as it is designed to help Dr. Davis be aware of his own strengths and possible
weaknesses, while clearly defining how he wishes to position himself and how he will lead in
this new role. It is also designed to prepare him for the uniqueness of this situation in light of
national interest in how this community continues to address the racial tension and social unrest
aggravated by the Michael Brown shooting.
Dr. Davis Preparation, Entry, and Transition Timeline
Pre-Work
Story of Self
Transition &
Advisory Teams
Phase I Messaging
Development &
Preparation
Evolving Messaging
Ensuring Service
Excellence
Understanding
Schools, Districts,
and Community
Building
Relationships &
Engaging
Stakeholders
Formulating Vision,
Theory of Action
Strategic Planning
Process
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30 Days
60 Days
90 Days
Post 90
Days
The Story of Self, Us, and Now Framework
As practice-based Harvard doctoral candidates, we have the fortunate opportunity to learn
about a variety of proven models to help leaders of organizations achieve their goals whether
improving performance, changing cultures, engaging stakeholders, or transforming systems.
Marshall Ganz, a Harvard professor and life-long activist, offers a powerful framework called
The Story of Self, Us, and Now for galvanizing stakeholders around a common vision,
leveraging urgency, and inspiring action. Our team felt this model was especially relevant for
Dr. Davis’ entry and transition into Ferguson because of the profile of the position and his desire
to transform FFSD and the broader Ferguson community as a leader in the community and
advocate for equity and excellence for all students. According to Ganz, Dr. Davis’ public story
should include:
A story of self: why you were called to what you have been called to do.
A story of us: what your constituency, community, organization has been called to in its
shared purposes, goals, and vision.
A story of now: the challenge this community now faces, the choices it must make, and
the hope to which “we” can aspire.
The pre-work of this transition plan focuses on Dr. Davis being clear about his story of self,
preparing to tell that story in the variety of settings that he will be called upon to share it such as
meetings, events, conversations, and interviews. The building of the story of “us” and “now” will
emerge out of the various conversations and planning meetings taking place within the first 90
days in his efforts to better understand FFSD and the Ferguson community. As a new member
of the community, the team encourages Dr. Davis to focus on building his public story of self,
us, and now in relation to FFSD, while working toward how he participates in and influences the
broader Ferguson community through his educational leadership role over a longer period of
time.
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CONTEXT
Ferguson
With over 21,000 residents, the city of Ferguson is a suburb 14 miles away from downtown St.
Louis. Ferguson is one of 90 Municipalities of the greater St. Louis area and has gone through a
demographic transformation over the past twenty years. In 1990, whites made up 73% of the
population and African-Americans made up just 25%. The numbers are now reversed in the
most recent census. African Americans now make up 67% of the population and whites making
up roughly 30%. Since the year 2000, Ferguson has lost nearly 6% of its population, one of the
fastest declines in population across the entire state of Missouri, creating reverberations for the
long-term economic viability of the city. Moreover, Ferguson is one of the most segregated cities
in the United States, with a largely white power structure leading the majority black city.
The average household income for a family in Ferguson in $38,000, which is significantly lower
than the state of Missouri as a whole. Reported incidents of crime are significantly higher, with
1,200 incidents per 100,000. These challenges and the deep-seated discrimination in the city of
Ferguson came to the national spotlight when Michael Brown, an 18 year-old African-American
student, was killed by a white police officer on August 9, 2014. The subsequent protests and a
federal investigation exposed institutional racism embedded throughout the entire power
structure of Ferguson. Additionally, the ACLU has filed a lawsuit in federal court stating that the
at-large system of voting for the school board has purposefully diluted the strength of the
African-American voting population.
Over the past few months, however, the city of Ferguson has seen new momentum. Local
elections drew an unprecedented amount of voters to the polls and new members have been
elected to the school board and the city council. Superintendent Davis should capitalize on this
as he looks at how to create a world-class education system in FFSD. To reform the the district,
Dr. Davis needs to work within the framework created by the recent educational initiatives in the
state of Missouri.
Missouri
Missouri recently launched an initiative called “Top 10 by 20,” a concerted effort to get student
achievement in Missouri to rank among the top 10 states in America by 2020. The overarching
goal is to have all Missouri students graduate high school college and career ready. The
strategies entailed in the initiative range from expanding opportunities for early childhood
education to developing a comprehensive system for the recruiting, retaining, and evaluating of
effective educators. While the goal of being top 10 in the United States is laudable, there needs
to be significant progress between now and 2020 if the initiative will be successful.
According to a broad range of educational indicators, Missouri, much like its geography, ranks
right in the middle. Currently, Missouri is 23rd in the country in composite ACT scores and ranks
between 20th – 31st in Math and Reading scores, according to the National Assessment of
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Educational Progress (NAEP). Additionally, Missouri ranked 23rd in the number of students
finishing a bachelor’s degree within a six year period. Early signs show Missouri is moving in the
right direction with incremental increases in both ACT, graduation rates, and NAEP scores. If
educators and policymakers continue to work together, Missouri has the chance to meet the
ambitious goals it has set out for itself by the end of the decade. While celebrating some of the
progress the state as a whole has made, it is just as imperative to examine some of the districts
that have been consistently underperforming across Missouri, including Ferguson-Florissant.
Ferguson-Florissant School District
Located in the greater St. Louis area, the Ferguson-Florissant School District incorporates 11
different municipalities and serves 11,000 students from early childhood to 12th grade. The
school district operates 24 schools with a budget of nearly $135 million, making it the 16th
largest school district in Missouri. Ferguson-Florissant, one of the worst performing districts in
Missouri, is ranked in the 4th percentile of all school districts according to the Missouri
Assessment Program (MAP). Academic achievement in the FFSD has plateaued over the last
few years and the incremental increases that have happened in Missouri did not reach
Ferguson. The number of students in poverty has increased, MAP scores have decreased, and
ACT scores and graduation rates have remained the same. More recently, school discipline
measures in the Ferguson-Florissant school district have been under scrutiny and brought to the
forefront an inequity between white and black students. There is nearly a 500% higher rate of
students being suspended for over 10 days in the Ferguson-Florissant school district than
students in Missouri. In total, nearly 15% of all black students received an out-of-school
suspension in the 2012-2013 school year, nearly double the rate of the white student
population. It is unclear why the number of students being suspended is such an outlier, as
FFSD has a policy of not suspending students for violent acts.
While there is a lot to work on, FFSD has a foundation to build on. The district has a high school
graduation rate of 78%, which has increased every year since 2011. Moreover, AfricanAmericans are graduating high school at a higher rate than their peers in the rest of Missouri
and the country. Professional staff is generally more educated and more experienced than the
state and country as a whole, with an average experience of 13.2 years. Dr. Davis has the
opportunity to harness these strengths while introducing new approaches to ensure equity and
to ensure world-class excellence for all FFSD students.
The Role of the Superintendent
The superintendent can play a pivotal role in changing the culture of a school district which can
significantly impact the broader community. The job of a superintendent can be divided into
three distinct aspects: instructional, managerial, and political. To be highly effective, a
superintendent has to do all three well, but must spend a significant portion of time in the
beginning understand the political aspects of the work in order to gain legitimacy and support
across FFSD and the community. Creating a vision of equity and excellence for all students,
building a strong relationship with the board, and strategically engaging members of the
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community are steps other superintendents have done in leading education systems in
communities that have been divided. Dr. Davis can look at the playbook used by
superintendents across the country, such as former superintendents Dr. Carl Cohn of Long
Beach Unified School District, Dr. Jerry Weast of Montgomery County Schools, and Dr.
Deborah Jewell Sherman of Richmond Public Schools who have successfully led school
districts in turbulent times, while working within the unique characteristics of poor inequity and
poor student achievement. Again, Dr. Davis’ greatest impact will be through the 24 schools that
make up FFSD. Over time, he can integrate himself into the community, leveraging his position
for broader impact.
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PREPARING FOR THE FIRST 90 DAYS
Understanding Self
Dr. Davis’ transition to the role of superintendent in Ferguson provides a unique opportunity for
self reflection and proactive planning about how to leverage his current strengths while being
acutely aware of possible weaknesses or blind spots. We recommend creating a personalized
Learning Plan that paves the way for highlighting applicable strengths and unveiling growth
areas and gaps in learning, both specific to his positioning in the context of Ferguson and for his
own leadership and interpersonal development.
One of the strongest predictors of future performance is past performance, and although
success can often be used to build momentum, one of the biggest mistakes a leader can make
is relying on what has worked in the past to carry them in the future, despite the stakes being
considerably larger. Unfortunately, the need for a new set of tools and skills is often discovered
after initial negative impressions have been made, which can lead to a self-perpetuating
negative feedback loop. Like most executive leadership positions, the superintendent’s ultimate
success will not be not linked to technical skills but to their ability to navigate the adaptive
challenges that lay ahead. Although FFSD is in many ways in a unique position, many of the
technical issues are similar to those being faced by schools across the country, and most have
well-documented solutions and best practices that can be implemented in FFSD. The biggest
threat to Dr. Davis’ success lies in his ability to apply soft skills to the more adaptive situations,
those that have no clear technical solution. Another linked threat is that leaders, especially
those on a meteoric rise, often rely heavily on what has worked in the past and which elevated
them into their current role, while failing to recognize negative habits and skill gaps. Using ideas
and frameworks from two suggestively named sources, The First 90 Days and What Got You
Here Won’t Get You There, recommendations for entering the role will be provided.
Prior to entering this new role, Dr. Davis should consider his current role and past roles as
excellent resources for sharpening his self-awareness of his current skill set and for identifying
his potential blind spots. Conducting a 360-degree feedback exercise with colleagues past and
present can help illuminate potential areas of growth that must be addressed in the new position
while also highlighting the strengths that Dr. Davis should focus on leveraging. This can be
done using surveys, one-on-one conversations, and group feedback. It is also a critical step
prior to hiring his cabinet, in order to know what skill gaps, working styles, and personalities
would best complement his own. There are many formal tools (both written and digital - see
Appendix Item VII for samples) for requesting and collecting 360-degree feedback, but here are
three techniques to collect this level of feedback more informally simply by paying close
attention to day-to-day environment and interactions:
Track casual comments heard on a daily basis (“That’s a great idea.” or “I didn’t know you’d be
late.”) over time. Use the accumulation of these seemingly insignificant data points to
triangulate strengths and growth areas.
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¡
¡
¡
Closely observe people’s body language and reactions to you in a variety of settings.
Are people excited to see you when you walk into meetings? Do people clamor to sit
near you or stare at you intently when you speak? What do their actions say about your
leadership?
Monitor your own self-aggrandizing remarks for potential self-assessed strengths that
may truly be growth areas. Consider how others may see your “strengths” and whether
you may be unknowingly highlighting an area for growth.
Ask your spouse to monitor your home behavior, knowing that our home flaws are likely
to be present at work, and vice versa.
What Got You Here also highlights 21 “Bad Habits” leaders often make, that are worth
considering in order to gauge if you find yourself making these missteps. It’s worth noting that
several of these bad habits are useful in moving up the ladder, but can come back and bite the
leader if not reconciled during the rise to executive leadership (See Appendix I).
Another strategy for finding skill gaps and vulnerabilities is to analyze problem preferences.
This strategy consists of evaluating the types of problematic situations the leader readily
engages in solving. We all have preferences that our strengths play to, but executive leadership
often requires the leader to be “ambidextrous,” taking on all varieties of tasks, not just those we
feel most equipped and excited to handle. Once again, this has strong implications for hiring a
leadership team with complementary skills.
Regardless of the FFSD context, effective executive leadership is almost always driven by two
primary forces, change management and adaptive (rather than technical) solutions. Dr. Davis’
interpersonal skills and ability to leverage his leadership strengths and mitigate and develop his
growth areas will largely determine how successfully he navigates these two forces.
Transition and Advisory Teams
One way to quickly boost Dr. Davis’ learning power is to have a balanced transition advisory
team to help prioritize learning in the following recommended areas: 1) Teaching and Learning
2) Resource Allocation 3) District Capacity-Building 4) School Safety 5) Community
Engagement 6) School Reform Models. Research on effective teams suggests that team
composition, purpose, organization, and expected outcomes are all critical to think about in
advance of forming teams, however the benefits of considering these can pay serious
dividends. As Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson says, “Teaming is essential
to organizational learning. Enabled by distributed leadership, the purpose of teaming is to
expand knowledge and expertise so that organizations and their customers can capture the
value.”
As Dr. Davis considers the composition of his team, both at the initial advisory level and at the
cabinet level in the future, it is vital that he chooses team members that complement his
knowledge and expertise by filling in any missing pieces. His team should be balanced by
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expertise level and also in racial composition, gender, and most vitally, should have a strong
local representation. National experts can help provide a theoretical basis for his strategies, but
the strategies will never get off the ground without local expertise of customs, culture, and
practices of the Ferguson community and school district. Thus, Dr. Davis is strongly encouraged
to ensure his transition team has strong local community representation. These team members
can provide him with important counsel that only someone from within the community can offer
as well as help open the door to relationships with a variety of local leaders and stakeholders.
As the transition advisory team provides reports and recommendations, Dr. Davis should invest
a great deal of time in analyzing the information to build his own expertise. Where gaps remain,
he may want to consider keeping specific gap-area experts on as advisors or cabinets members
for an on-going basis.
Phased Message Platform and Communications Plan
As Dr. Davis intentionally pursues and creates opportunities for conversations with both internal
and external stakeholders, people will want to know more about who he is including his
professional history and personal background, immediate priorities, and vision for the district.
Some people will hope to influence the superintendent early on in order to advance their own
agendas. The key is to maintain a learning mode during the early stages of entry into the
leadership of the district, using the perspectives and information gathered to inform the
superintendent’s own thinking while evolving messaging strategically. This will allow the
superintendent to begin leadership of the district with his own vision, supported by his own
inquiry and learning of the district.
Entry into FFSD is especially unique because the community continues to be under a national
spotlight. Many will question the superintendent’s interest and motives in wanting to take on this
leadership role in the community and because Ferguson has become an iconic place for race
relations in America. Thus, the superintendent’s messages and priorities will likely be of interest
to experts and critics nationwide, most notably the media.
Objectives:
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§
Being clear about what the superintendent wants to communicate about his personal
and professional background, and ensuring he is comfortable with its delivery
Providing a framework for key message development for each phase of the entry and
transition process
Reinforcing the importance of practice and professional training to ensure clear,
consistent, and confident delivery of messages
Professional History and Personal Background
Review the superintendent’s resume and accomplishments and identify the three-to-five most
important messages to be conveyed. The goal is to provide enough information to demonstrate
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experience and accomplishment in order to build credibility and confidence in his/her
capabilities, but not to oversell, brag, or inflate. Consider including:
¡ Number of years in education including path: teacher, principal, and superintendency
¡ Recent leadership and accomplishments relevant to the new position
¡ Strengths that will be an asset to the Ferguson-Florissant School District and the
broader community
People have relationships with people. By utilizing the Ganz model - Story of Self, Us, and Now
- presented in the introduction, the new superintendent can develop a compelling story of self
that creates a compassionate, shared connection with people. The superintendent can decide
how much of his personal story to share, but the willingness to give people a glimpse into
personal history, inspirations/motivations, and connection to the work they are asking the
superintendent to do has the potential to build greater goodwill and support early in the entry
and transition process.
Immediate Priorities
Developing an elevator speech for the first 90 days based on the superintendent’s priorities will
help ensure that he stays focused on his priorities and manages the expectations of internal and
external stakeholders for that period of time. Remember: In addition to the operational priorities
laid out in “Ensuring Service Excellence”, the first 90 days are about listening, understanding,
and building relationships. With board support, Dr. Davis can resist the urge to promise anything
else while letting people know that the first 90 days will lay the foundation for a long-term
visioning and strategic planning process. As a result, messaging may include:
¡ One or two sentences about the superintendent’s commitment to equity and excellence
for all students, building on what is working well already within FFSD while raising the
bar in pursuit of world-class excellence
¡ One or two sentences about the priorities provided in the recommendations below: 1).
Ensuring Service Excellence, 2). Understanding the Schools, District, and Community,
and 3). Building Relationships and Engaging Stakeholders
¡ One or two sentences about how the process will inform the creation of a shared vision
and theory of action
Evolving Messaging
Internal and external stakeholders will be expecting the new superintendent to have a vision for
the future of FFSE soon after the first 90 days. Informed by the various conversations,
meetings, and interactions within the district and across the community, the superintendent’s
next round of messaging should include:
¡ Appreciation for the time, input, and support of everyone who met with him
¡ A high level summary of what he heard
¡ An emerging vision for the district and next steps
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Practice and Preparation
The importance of practice and preparation in this particular scenario of entry and transition into
Ferguson cannot be underestimated. Again, due to the high profile nature of the position and
the community, there is great interest in how the new superintendent plans to lead as well as
how he sees his role in supporting and healing the community through his district and schools.
In addition to the steps outlined above, it is recommended that the superintendent actively
engages in the following:
1) Develop draft talking points for his professional history, personal background, and first
90 day priorities.
2) Have members of the transition team, board, and/or cabinet give feedback on clarifying
and tightening the message. Have this same group above help develop a
comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. Develop talking points
for each question. It’s okay to not have an answer to everything and to revert back to
the 90 day priorities of ensuring service excellence, understanding the schools, district,
and community, and building relationships and engaging stakeholders.
3) Refine the messaging platform based on the feedback and practice making it his own.
4) Identify a couple of advisors to practice with to ensure authenticity in the delivery of
messages. Ask for critical feedback and refine your approach. The goal is to be “real”
and not scripted.
5) Have the advisors ask questions and practice responding with clarity and conciseness.
6) Engage a media consultant or firm for media training. The consultant can role play both
hard and soft media experiences, as well as offer crisis management counsel to ensure
the superintendent and his district/school leaders continue to develop skills in managing
the variety of crises faced by schools including student safety, racial unrest, school
violence, and more.
Multi-faceted Communications Plan
The superintendent can establish a culture of transparency and open communication throughout
his entry, transition, and ongoing leadership of the Ferguson-Florissant School District by
prioritizing communications. There are a variety of ways to keep internal and external
stakeholder groups informed through meetings, consistent email communications, blogging, and
social media such as Twitter and Instagram. By creating a multifaceted plan from the start
which is used to communicate messages as well as solicit feedback and engagement, the
superintendent can alleviate fears, confusion, and misconceptions by communicating directly
and demonstrating a clear interest in transparency and engagement. The plan may include
appropriately paced strategies to increase the prominence of the superintendent through on-air
interviews, print profiles, and opinion editorials in the local paper in order for more people in the
community to get to know him.
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90 DAY ENTRY AND TRANSITION
Dr. Davis’ first 90 Days of entry and transition into the Ferguson community and the district will
set the tone and lay the foundation for both short- and long-term success. If fact, Michael
Watkins, author of The First 90 Days, identifies five traps for leaders in transition to avoid: 1)
Sticking with what you know; 2) Falling prey to the “action imperative”; 3) Setting unrealistic
expectations; 4) Trying to do too much, coming in with “the” answer; 5) Engaging in the right
type of learning, and neglecting horizontal relationships (See Appendix I).
In order to facilitate a strong entry and transition, our primary
recommendations for the first 90 days are threefold:
1) Ensure Service Excellence
2) Understand the Schools, District, and Community
3) Build Relationships and Engage the Community
If executed with intention, this three-pronged approach has the potential to create strong two
way exchanges with individuals and groups that will be vital to the long-term success of Dr.
Davis and his leadership team. Thus, some of the benefits in focusing on these three priorities
include building goodwill with internal and external stakeholders, garnering broad perspectives
to inform vision formation and strategic priorities, identifying potential allies and detractors,
gaining understanding of culture and political influences within the district and across the
community, soliciting broad-based support and commitment, and successfully executing on key
milestones such as the first day of school, a significant crisis, and the Michael Brown
anniversary.
Furthermore, the priorities take into consideration internal and external
stakeholders because relationships and engagement with both will be vital, in varying degrees,
to advancing the superintendent’s vision and priorities before, during, and after the first 90 days.
Internal Stakeholders
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Board of Directors
Cabinet
Principals
Teachers/Counselors/Staff
Students
Families
Union
External Stakeholders
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Business Leaders
Policymakers
Faith-based Leaders
Community-based Organization
(CBO) Leaders
Educators–Other Superintendents,
Higher Education Leaders, PreK
and After school program providers
Priority 1: Ensuring Service Excellence
As Dr. Davis assumes leadership of FFSD, a considerable amount of the time and energy that
he and his cabinet use will be dedicated to assessing the state of the district, visiting schools,
and creating a robust picture of the district from the perspectives of diverse stakeholders.
Taking this stance of inquiry will allow Dr. Davis and the district leadership to create a strategic
vision and theory of action that will guide immediate and longer-term leadership decisions. Once
Dr. Davis solidifies his understanding of the district’s strengths and opportunities during the
initial weeks and months of his transition, securing quick wins that ensure classroom needs are
met and that facilitate the delivery of high quality instruction will clearly communicate his
commitment to equity and excellence. By ensuring structures and processes are in place that
focus teachers, principals, and other stakeholders on substantive issues and academic
priorities, Dr. Davis will begin moving FFSD closer to world-class excellence. Below, we have
outlined a number of options that provide opportunities to set the stage for Dr. Davis’ term by
establishing proof points of service excellence.
Objectives:
§
§
§
Leverage existing milestones to ensure successful entry and transition
Quickly assessing capacity, priorities, and planning for service excellence
Solicit expertise and support of internal stakeholders for successful execution
The First Day of School
Ensuring the first day of school goes off without a hitch is an important milestone for every new
superintendent. As the new leader of FFSD, Dr. Davis will have the opportunity to meet with
district and school leadership to understand current processes, capacities, and school-level
plans for a successful school year kick off. The following list outlines areas of importance for
the superintendent to know and understand soon after entry.
Facilities
Readiness
16
Dr. Davis should ensure the fully functional use of all school buildings and
facilities on the first day of school. The superintendent can ensure that every
school is ready for a successful first day of instruction by:
¡ Using of a survey and summer school site walk throughs before the first
day of school
¡ Delegating responses to all facilities and maintenance concerns to COO
to be resolved by 2 weeks before school begins. This workflow includes
responding to facilities needs, repairs and any building materials
needed.
This priority may seem superfluous as the superintendent seeks to begin
leadership of the district with so many competing priorities, but the backsplash
of first day of school challenges could impact the superintendent’s reputation
well into his first term.
Principal &
Teacher
Readiness
Ensure that principals are ready to lead and support teachers, and teachers are
ready to deliver instruction by ensuring that two layers of professional
development take place and ample preparation time is provided.
Principal In-service: Provide principal professional development and networking
time through leading the appropriate cabinet official in bringing principals
together for in-service days. During in-service day(s) Dr. Davis’ priorities could
be to:
¡ “Host” 1-2 principal in service days at a selected Ferguson High SchoolThe superintendent “hosting” will communicate a commitment to
professional development and principal support as well as allow the
event to serve as a relationship building opportunity with the principal of
the host high school
¡ Communicate initial leadership priorities and commitment to open
communication and thought partnership with school leaders in the district
o Gather district principal community to build relationships with and
between principals
o Provide an opportunity for principals to share best practices and
challenges from their previous school year
o Require principals to set and communicate annual instructional and
culture goals for their school
o Provide principals with an opportunity to plan their Teacher In
Service programming and draft their professional development plans
for the 2015-2016 school year
o Educate principals on emergency and crisis response protocols for
all schools
o Gather information on facilities and IT challenges that require district
support to resolve before the first day of school
The expressed and clearly communicated goal of these days should be to
provide principals a forum for four key areas of focus:
1) Plan for teacher professional development for the 2015-2016 SY
2) Share best practices and challenges faced during 2014-2015 SY
3) Communicate specific topics for future professional development
and support
4) Disseminate a district plan for crisis and emergency readiness
This is NOT an opportunity for the provision of new programming, rolling out
new curriculum, expectations or significant changes in the methods that
principals presently use to support, develop, or observe teachers or lead their
schools.
Teacher Inservice
17
Following the superintendent’s principal inservice days, principals should be
supported in hosting their own school-specific teacher inservice days. The
superintendent should distribute leadership from his cabinet to ensure that each
in-service for teachers provides:
¡ Debriefs of home visits (where applicable)
¡ Teachers with the principals overarching instructional and culture goals
for the 2015-2016 school year
¡ Opportunities for teachers to set specific learning goals for students
¡ Educates teachers on emergency and crisis protocols
¡
¡
¡
¡
Student
Support
Service
Readiness
Instructional
Materials &
Supplies
Staffing
18
Disseminate district email credentials
At least 4-6 hours of unstructured planning and classroom set up time
Ensure that district facilities staff and student information and data
support staff contact each school and ensure that all student registration
information is up to date and that a system for 1st day of school
troubleshooting is available and clear to all school admin staff who
manage student schedules and student registration information
Additionally, the superintendent could signal his commitment and priority
for academic achievement and those on the front line of service by:
o Making strategic visits to school sites during teacher in service
days, greeting teachers and answering general questions
o Hosting a district-wide teacher appreciation Bowling
Night/Dinner/Other Activity/ Private Target Run to celebrate the
service of teachers as they prepare their classrooms
Distribute leadership ensure functional scheduling and student data support
services. Confirm with appropriate cabinet member that:
¡ Current district student information data management system is
functional and effective
¡ Should a solution for student data be required, ensure that trouble
shooting options have been provided for principals and school
administration
¡ Assign all principals, teachers, and school administration with district
email addresses using google mail
Ensure that teachers have necessary material to begin instruction on the very
first day of school by distributing leadership to:
¡ Inventory all learning and technology materials at each school site
¡ Incentivize accurate learning and technology inventories
¡ Ensure that all principals have conducted a materials and supplies audit
¡ Ensure that all textbooks and curriculum materials have been ordered
and arrive within three business days of the first day of school
¡ Ensure that teachers have had opportunities, where appropriate, to
connect with district Information Technology support staff to complete
any required troubleshooting for technology to be used in classrooms
during 2015-2016 academic year
Take every action necessary to fill all open positions with highly-qualified and
effective personnel
¡ The district should communicate with principals to secure most up-todate information on hiring needs, vacancies and certification
requirements of all returning teachers and staff
¡ The Superintendent should use deliberate speed to support the posting
and filling of all vacant positions in the district where possible, taking into
account any hiring freeze or budgetary concerns
¡ The superintendent could host a Ferguson-Florissant hiring fair where
principals are invited to set up tables to greet, recruit and on site
interview qualified talent for posted vacancies for 2015-2016 school year
Emergency and Crisis Preparedness
In light of the high profile issues experienced in Ferguson as well as the increasingly complex
challenges schools face across the nation, it is especially important for Dr. Davis to understand
the crisis response plan of both the district office and FFSD schools. Mishandling a crisis is a
misstep that can be avoided if planning and practice are made a Service Excellence priority.
Student
Safety
¡
¡
¡
Emergency
Crisis &
Disaster
Preparedness
¡
Ensure school safety plan for each school
Ensure all schools have hired school security
Host school security officers at a breakfast or lunch to thank them for
their service and communicate the priorities of the district
Produce, inform and monitor school usage of district procedures for
emergency and crisis response plans in all district building. Under
interim leadership for two years, phone trees and basic protocols
should be updated and dispersed to all critical staff.
Michael Brown Anniversary
The anniversary of the Michael Brown shooting will be an emotionally charged moment for the
entire Ferguson community. Although school is not officially in session on August 9th, having a
clear vision of what FFSD will or will not do for the anniversary is important.
Gain
Solicit advice and perspective from the board, central office administrators,
Perspective
principals, teachers, and students about expectations for the district and
schools to recognize the Michael Brown Anniversary such as:
¡ Solidarity week (wear a ribbon, special t-shirts, or other symbolic
gesture)
¡ Letters from FFSD students to students at the school Michael Brown
attended
¡ Gathering of school communities for remembrance and reconciliation
with an open house
¡ Email out a list of activities taking place in the community in which
teachers, leaders, students, and families can participate.
Note: Because the anniversary happens before the school year kicks off, there
may be no expectation of FFSD to organize something.
Engage in
Existing
Opportunities
19
Identify solidarity activities in the community in which Dr. Davis and his family
can attend as appropriate.
Priority 2: Understanding the Schools, District and Community
In The First 90 Days, Watkins emphasizes the importance of accelerating early learning
matching strategy to the situation. Priority 2: Understanding the Schools, District,
Community, is supported by recommendations designed to enable Dr. Davis to quickly
effectively listen to and learn from a wide-range of people involved directly and indirectly
the FFSD public school system.
and
and
and
with
This recommendation starts with understanding schools because ultimately this is where the
impact ultimately lies- in the instructional core at the intersection of students, teachers and
content. Assessing the strength of the core in FFSD and the coherence of the supports around
it at the school, district and community level will allow Dr. Davis to identify the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats to improving student achievement and important noncognitive factors. One of the most important recommendations embedded in this section is
hearing from students directly and experiencing their learning environments first hand.
Spending his first few days on the job in schools creates an opportunity to redirect the school
community’s attention to what matters most - the students.
The recommendations in this section take many forms. From student focus groups to school
learning walks to data reviews to conversations with his direct reports and other central office
staff. The variety of activities provides multiple data points as well as opportunities for
relationship-building. FFSD’s ability to succeed requires not only public engagement but
students and staff who are energize and engaged because they feel valued and heard. Input
will not always equal output in these conversations, but assessing the historical and current
context of schools, the district and the community, will allow him to plan and later act
responsibly for the future.
Objectives:
•
•
•
•
Understand the context, historical and current academic and operational performance,
capacity and needs of schools and central offices
Gather information and collect data that will assist the Superintendent in understanding
the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of FFSD’s academic programs,
operational efficiencies and financial position
Share Dr. Davis’s personal narrative, core values and education philosophy
Lay the foundation for developing strong relationships and setting expectations with
internal stakeholders for high rigor, engagement and achievement for all students
In addition to the recommendations below, each opportunity would serve as a chance for Dr.
Davis to share his personal story/values and name his high expectations for students and the
adults that support students in the FFSD. Likewise, for each stakeholder group named below, it
is a chance to understand their personal story, why they are in education, what their biggest
hope is for the FFSD. Consider having at least 1 consistent person staff all visits and meetings
to capture and organize the learning to be used to inform future planning and internal/external
20
communication of findings. A potential organizing framework would be to organize learnings
into a SWOT analysis by stakeholder group. Additionally, the superintendent should respond to
low-cost, high-visibility, high- impact needs and requests that directly impact student or teacher
experience. Doing so will require having resources (people, time and money) on call to tend to
such requests early in the school year.
Schools
Site Visits
Once school is back in session, schedule a half-day visit to each school to
conduct learning walks and to have dedicated time to meet separately with the
principal, teachers and students. When applicable, invite union leadership and
board members to join. Consider making the school visits and student
conversations highly publicized and visible to the external and internal
community to signal a “students first” message.
During site visits, consider discussing the following with students:
¡ What do they like best about their school? What do they think needs to
change?
¡ What are their hopes for their future selves?
¡ Do teachers/leaders have high expectations for all students? (Why or
why not?)
¡ Do they feel they are being prepared for college or career?
During site visits consider discussing the following with adults:
¡ The level of student and engagement and rigor
¡ The formative and summative assessments used to monitor student
learning;
¡ The current status of implementation of the Common Core Standards;
¡ Alignment of professional development to the learning needs of
students and teachers (including effectiveness of instructional and
leadership coaching); and
¡ The level of knowledge and comfort in discussing and facilitating
discussions about identity, power and privilege.
¡ Operational needs (staff, $, facilities)
Meetings and
Roundtables
¡
¡
¡
Systems
Audit and
Analysis
Host 2-3 roundtable discussions exclusively for teachers and school
support staff across the district.
Hold roundtable meeting with the local and/or district special education
advocacy groups about the support available for families, coordination
of services, and current strengths and areas for improvement in serving
our special education students.
Attend/observe a principal’s meeting (if a principal’s meeting does not
exist, convene one)
Meet with Chief Officers (CLO, CIO, CHCO, CFO, CAO) to analyze the school
performance and other data of schools (see Appendix I), discuss current
instruments used to monitor instructional and operational effectiveness of the
district.
Conduct an audit to analyze the current instructional program, practices,
21
curriculum, professional development, and benchmark assessments for
evidence of effectiveness
Conduct an audit to analyze the current social/emotional/behavioral supports
and interventions for evidence of effectiveness
Additional
Data
Collection
Evaluate the systemic efforts in place to improve the attendance, academic
performance and discipline rates for all students, particularly African-American,
Hispanic, English Language Learners and special education students.
Conduct a school climate survey (recommendation-the 5 Essentials by the
University
of
Chicago
Consortium
on
School
Researchhttps://ccsr.uchicago.edu/surveys )
District
Board
Schedule regular meetings with Board President
Hold one-on-one breakfast or lunch meetings with each School Board member to
establish trust, share our vision for the FF School District, and build a positive
relationship.
Establish a regular communication protocol between the Board and
Superintendent to maintain a positive partnership focused on the shared vision
for the children of FF.
Union
Hold a Board retreat to focus on role clarification, norms and value sharing,
building trust and mutual accountability, and developing a shared sense of the
problem
Review collective bargaining agreements and discuss goals for supporting strong
instruction.
Ascertain the union’s perspective on the biggest strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats (SWOTs) both for their own functional areas as well as
the district as a whole
District
Staff
Set up regular meetings with union leadership
Hold roundtable discussions with the district’s directors and key staff under the
CLO’s management line to learn about current coaching protocols, instructional
supports provided, and evidence used in coaching to guide next steps for
instructional support and improvement.
Conduct one-on-one meetings with each direct report (CLO, CIO, CHCO, CFO,
CAO), focusing on:
1. Understanding the responsibilities and functions of their management
lines, the current alignment of resources (people, time and money) and
talent capacity (skill/will of central office employees for the roles they
hold)
2. Ascertaining what they see as the biggest strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats (SWOTs) both for their own functional areas as
well as the district as a whole.
22
Conduct one-on-one meetings with each department head in the central office,
focusing on each office’s functions, goals, current allocation and alignment of
resources (people, time and money), talent and skills to support teaching and
learning.
Conduct central office cross-department brown bag lunches whereby central
office staff can come to hear/share personal stories and perceptions of their/the
district’s biggest challenges and opportunities. This is also a way for central
office staff to interact across departments, signaling the value and importance of
cross-functional teaming.
Conduct senior leadership team (SLT) meeting (knowing that the SLT
membership and purpose might evolve over time) to review Dr. Davis’s high-level
transition plan
Community
Review
Informational
Sites
23
Missouri
¡ Missouri State - https://www.mo.gov
¡ Governor Jay Nixon - http://governor.mo.gov
¡ Missouri General Assembly - http://www.moga.mo.gov
¡ State Board of Education - https://dese.mo.gov/state-board-education
o Department of Elem and Secondary Education https://dese.mo.gov
o Top 10 by 20 State Plan - https://dese.mo.gov/top-10-by-20
o Education Legislation https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/DESELegislativeQ&A.pdf
St. Louis
¡ County/City of St. Louis - https://www.stlouis-mo.gov
¡ School Districts http://www.stlouisco.com/yourgovernment/othergovernmentagencies/coun
tyschooldistricts
¡ Economic Development Priorities https://main.stlpartnership.com/cmss_files/attachmentlibrary/EDPWorking-Strategic-Plan-2014.pdf
Ferguson
¡ City of Ferguson - http://www.fergusoncity.com
o Mayor - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Knowles_III
o City Council - http://www.fergusoncity.com/61/City-Council
o Human Rights Commission http://www.fergusoncity.com/533/Human-Rights-Commission
¡ Ferguson-Florissant School District http://www.fergflor.org/pages/Ferguson-Florissant_SD
¡ The Making of Ferguson - http://s3.epi.org/files/2014/making-of-fergusonfinal.pdf
Review
Key Media
Coverage
Student protests:
¡ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/05/missouri-studentprotests_n_6278044.html
¡ http://www.hazelwoodschools.org/News/Pages/Community%20Letter%20f
rom%20Superintendent%2012-2-14.aspx (Statement from the
Superintendent mentioned in Article)
¡ http://raycomgroup.worldnow.com/story/27528327/students-stagewalkout-in-2-st-louis-suburban-high-schools
¡ http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/ferguson/2014/12/02/studentswalkout-class-mike-brown/19782381/
¡ http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/students-in-north-st-louiscounty-schools-walk-out-in/article_61281879-6384-5f24-a7995f76ca6738e5.html
Ferguson-Florissant Administrative Changes:
¡ https://www.facebook.com/standupfordrartmccoy
¡ http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/crowd-questions-suspension-offerguson-florissant-superintendent/article_cdddaeb9-66b5-59b9-83f9f36e65c132fb.html
¡ http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/2014/03/29/mccoy-fires-upvoters/7063997/
¡ http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Ex-board-member-allegations-shed-lighton-suspicious-Ferguson-Florissant-superintendent-suspension-232753981.html
Normandy + Riverview Gardens School Transfers:
¡ http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/white-district-sends-black-kids-back-failedschools
¡ http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/heres-how-not-deal-failing-schools
Plan for
Community
Conversati
ons
Develop a list of questions about the community, education priorities, and politics
to be incorporated into community conversations. Some possible questions
include:
¡ What are the topic issues affecting the Ferguson-Florissant community?
¡ What role do you believe education plays in building a stronger FergusonFlorissant community?
¡ What do you believe our top education priorities should be?
¡ What do believe are our the greatest challenges in improving outcomes for
Ferguson-Florissant’s students?
¡ What do believe are our the greatest opportunities to improve outcomes
for Ferguson-Florissant’s students?
24
Priority 3: Building Relationships and Stakeholder Engagement
Today more than ever there are high expectations for district and school leaders to deliver
measurable outcomes, consistently improving student academic performance and achievement
regardless of the variety of demographic, social, economic, and political factors impacting
students, families, schools and communities. There are even higher expectations for the
Ferguson-Florissant School District in providing an equitable and excellent education for all
students as well as fostering school climates that are just, trustworthy, and grounded in high
expectations. As a result, building strong relationships and shared ownership in the success of
students is a valuable and imperative skill for superintendents, and Dr. Davis in particular.
Objectives:
§ Identifying key stakeholders in the broader State, St. Louis City/County, and Ferguson
who are possible partners, allies, and influencers
§ Create opportunities for various stakeholders to provide advice and counsel to the
superintendent
§ Cultivate relationships with a diverse group of individuals and organizations important to
the success of Ferguson’s students and the district
§ Explore opportunities to engage various stakeholders in on-going and substantive ways
and/or alliances
1
The first step in building relationships and engaging stakeholders is to identify priority
stakeholders with whom to conduct outreach. Asking the Ferguson-Florissant Board, Cabinet,
and Principal leaders for priority recommendations is a good first step. The names and
organizations gathered can be used to populate the matrix like the one provided below. Asking
each person the superintendent meets with for other recommendations will result in a
cascading network for outreach over time. A preliminary outreach matrix is also provided in
Appendix IV.
Name of Person
Title/Organization
Contact Information
Purpose or Perspective
Priority
2
Be clear about why you are meeting with each individual or organization. Is it a meet-andgreet, information or perspective gathering, relationship repair, a request for support, etc.?
3
Take time to take notes following each meeting documenting important perspectives, concerns,
and/or future opportunities.
4
Follow up with stakeholders in the most efficient way. It may be different for each. Some may
benefit from continued one-on-one engagement, other may be conducive to collaboration or
collective meetings, or quick conversations at community meetings.
5
Consider commissioning a key internal and external stakeholder survey. This can be done via
the web or through a telephone poll. This upfront investment can provide the superintendent
with a critical and broad pulse on key communities issues and how they relate to education, the
value of education related to the economic prosperity of Ferguson, the perception of the school
district, perceived issues and opportunities for education and the district and more.
25
Methods of Engagement
How and when the superintendent engages key stakeholders will depend on a variety of factors
including capacity, resources, culture, and timeline. It is likely that across the various
stakeholders, the superintendent will employ a mix of the following engagement strategies:
1. One-on-One Meetings
2. Group Meetings
4. Community Event Attendance
5. Hosted Meals
6. Receptions
7. Town Halls
8. Surveys
High Impact Engagement Recommendations
There are a variety of short- and long-term opportunities to meet with and engage diverse
groups of stakeholders in relationship-building and active engagement.
Community
Meet and Greet
The Ferguson-Florissant School District Board can host a community-wide
reception for Dr. Davis in order to introduce him to the community. The informal
event will allow community members to meet him and give him an important
touch point with a variety of stakeholders including parents, community leaders,
and policymakers.
Community
Event Presence
and
Participation
Opening the door to a variety of relationships and possible partnerships can take
place at existing community events. Ensuring a consistent presence and
participation at important charity dinners, business breakfasts, and school
activities such as open houses. Seizing opportunities to provide keynotes,
participate on panels, and act as a facilitator will allow Dr. Davis to give people a
glimpse of who is and his vision as it becomes more solidified.
Local
Community
Advisory
Council
Dr. Davis may engage a handful of local leaders in a meaningful advisory
capacity early on. These individuals should be connected to the community Ferguson, St. Louis, and/or the state - to educate him about the people, politics,
and perspectives that will inform his work as superintendent.
Local
Superintendent
Collaborative
Ferguson-Florissant is one of 90 municipalities and 24 school districts in St.
Louis County. Dr. Davis can foster strong relationships across the neighboring
districts by creating avenues for regular advice, counsel, and collaboration.
Furthermore, ongoing collaboration could provide a unified education front
striving to reconcile the community and rally support for a strong education
system that is equitable, excellent, and developing young citizens who are
committed to creating a compassionate and just Ferguson.
Internal and
External
Stakeholder
Survey
As mentioned earlier, a quick win may be to commission an internal and external
stakeholder survey. The survey can be positioned as the superintendent valuing
the input of everyone as he formulates his long-term vision and priorities for
Ferguson-Florissant School District. It will be a value source of quantitative
information about the community, the district, and individual schools.
26
BROADER IMPACT OPPORTUNITIES
Dr. Davis has conveyed an interest in ensuring the students of Ferguson receive an excellent
education and are exceeding expectations with respect to key accountability measures such as
academic performance, graduation rates, and college entry. In addition, he has expressed a
desire to leverage his position as superintendent and as a member of the community to not only
help the community heal from the recent Michael Brown trauma, but also to reconcile the often
racially divided community long term.
Due to his “newness” to Ferguson and the enormous responsibility of transitioning into a new,
responsibility-laden leadership position, it is recommended that Dr. Davis take a long-term
approach to broader community change. Clearly, he should seek out opportunities to support
the community in the healing process by attending and supporting community events that are
focused on racial reconciliation, important anniversaries, and forward-looking community
planning.
As poignantly conveyed in Richard Rothstein’s The Making of Ferguson, a long history of
policies and practices maintain a culture of racism and structures of oppression in communities
like Ferguson. Changing a community requires a diverse group of stakeholders representing
education, faith, business, policy and more to unite and mobilize the broader community. Such
efforts take time and are underway to some extent already. That said, Dr. Davis can play an
important role in the effort as a supporter and ally early on, and a more ardent leader as he gets
settled in his leadership role. In fact, long-term he can change an entire community by changing
the perspectives and behaviors of the more than 12,000 students that move through his schools
each year.
Below are some short- and long-term opportunities for consideration in advancing an equity
agenda:
Short-term
1. Incorporate equity and unifying/galvanizing language into all messaging by the
superintendent whether one-on-one conversations, speeches, or meetings.
2. Seek out opportunities to integrate activities that speak to and/or advance social justice
and solidarity into existing district/school programming, courses, and/or events.
3. Assess the district and schools for practices and cultures that undermine the type of
compassionate, equitable, and just environments Dr. Davis seeks to foster.
4. Hire district and school leaders who share Dr. Davis’ commitment to social justice and
have experience in social justice/restorative justice implementation in schools.
5. Map the Ferguson community for allies who can be advisors and partners, but will
support Dr. Davis’ intentional movement toward equity and excellence.
6. Intentionally cultivate relationships with a diverse set of leaders (i.e. faith, policy,
education, and business) who will be imperative for substantive change.
27
Long-term
1. Given the disproportionate rates of disciplinary action affecting African-American
students throughout schools in the district, following gathering data, interviews and
anecdotal information from schools and stakeholders, the superintendent should
anticipate school discipline being a significant opportunity for his leadership of the
district. Dr. Davis should consider implementing a restorative justice program across
FFSD. Such models have been shown to be helpful even in schools not plagued by
violence or high expulsion rates because they foster a culture of compassion,
communication, and positive conflict resolution for students and adults. Sample
resources for such models being used in schools are provided in Appendix IV.
2. Incorporate social justice practices/models/frameworks into district and school leader
and educator retreats and meetings. Since understanding and addressing racism cannot
not be effectively accomplished in one day or three hour seminar, Dr. Davis would be
remiss to attempt to begin anti-racist pedagogy and practitioner training before he has
laid a strong foundation for his work as a leader of the district. Once Dr. Davis feels that
FFSD and its staff and students are ready, there are several programs, provided by
recognized racial equity experts in the field, which he can access for district-wide
education and engagement:
a. Dismantling Racism
http://www.dismantlingracism.org/Dismantling_Racism/coNTact_uS.html
b. Courageous Conversations
http://www.pacificeducationalgroup.com/public/pages/home
c. Social Justice Training Institute
http://www.sjti.org/contact_a.html
3. Review district-wide curriculum for culturally relevant content and advance the
integration of social justice programming.
28