Guest columnist
As the Durham Public Schools Board of Education searches for its next leader, the Superintendent's Business Advisory Council is eager to share input on our vision for the qualities this individual should possess and then to work closely with the new superintendent upon his or her taking office.
Superintendent Carl Harris created the Business Advisory Council to better engage the area business community with its schools, and that is exactly what has happened. So much so, in fact, that we welcome the next superintendent involving us even more in supporting DPS principals, teachers and students.
Simply put, we want the next superintendent to take the initiatives that Harris established to the next level in every way. Harris set the bar high for his successor. He solicited input, encouraged involvement and fostered innovation. The next superintendent should reinforce these efforts in the quest to make DPS a shining star across our state and throughout the nation. Harris made a significant impact in six specific areas, and we invite the new superintendent to consider continuing his or her focus around them.
They are:
nLeadership. Top-quality leaders in every school are what we must have to continue to improve. Harris was crystal clear in his belief that the best schools have seasoned and effective leaders. The business community supported this tenet by recognizing school leaders for excellence.
n Innovation. Small high schools, the state's second public Montessori middle school, a career center and more are among the innovations that Harris advocated. The next leader has our support to put in place new ideas, programs and policies that will make Durham not only a leader in business innovation but also first in academic innovation.
n Accountability. The Business Advisory Council rewards school leaders for progress on school Scorecards, the comprehensive reports on which each school is measured. These scorecards hold school leadership teams accountable for reaching goals in a number of important areas. The new Superintendent should be pleased to have such an accountability system already firmly in place, and we urge him or her to discover ways to embolden it.
n Student Achievement. Academically, DPS has shown some improvement. The Business Advisory Council, however, supports changes deemed necessary by the next superintendent to ensure that DPS students are scoring at the highest levels and are competitive with their peers.
n Career/College Prep: Every student must spend his or her high school years preparing for the next level of learning, whether college or work. Harris was most concerned that the Career and Technical Education programs in DPS high schools prepare students for jobs, and he engaged the business community to make this happen. We ask the new superintendent to take a comprehensive look at the workforce preparedness programs and ensure that these are sound programs that are true models of the workplace students will enter. Students who will attend college need to be prepared with the most challenging and academically rigorous courses. The Business Advisory Council supports rigorous honors and advanced placement courses at all high schools and strategies to encourage students to focus on high-level preparation for college.
n Communications. Just as Harris rolled out the welcome mat for businesses, parents and community agencies, the new superintendent must be open and willing to engage the community on many levels. People in Durham care about their schools and want to help improve them. That is a bonus to any new person who is coming in to this area, and we welcome the opportunity to find new and better ways to be engaged.
It's a great thing to live, work and play in Durham. Our community is so attractive in so many ways.
We know that the next superintendent will find this to be a wonderful place to do amazing things. The business leaders of Durham stand ready to help this person make the Durham schools second to none.
Victor Velazquez is vice-chair of the Durham Public Schools' Superintendent's Business Advisory Council and vice-president of strategy and human resources, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
