Ask WABE education reporter Martha Dalton about the school district she covers, and you might think she’s talking about Kansas City.
“In 2012, they were put on probation by their accrediting agency. They had a lot of problems with their board, their board was having a lot of governance issues, their accreditors stepped in and said, ‘This has got to change,’” says Dalton.
If what Dalton's saying sounds familiar, it's because Kansas City Public Schools also lost accreditation in 2012.
But Dalton, who’s based in Atlanta, is actually talking about the embattled DeKalb County schools, where two years ago Georgia Governor Nathan Deal had to replace two-thirds of the school board.
It’s that new board that courted Superintendent Stephen Green away from Kansas City. DeKalb County's offer means the superintendent credited with pulling the struggling Kansas City Public Schools back from the brink isn't sticking around to see the district regain full accreditation.
“The administration’s focused efforts under Dr. Green’s leadership has garnered attention and praise from Kansas City parents, community and civic leaders, education officials, and state and local elected officials,” said KCPS Board of Trustees President Jon Hile, tasked with announcing Green's departure at a press conference Wednesday night.
An even bigger task: finding Green’s replacement. In the meantime, Hile says the board is looking at two internal candidates for interim superintendent.
“The board has also decided to form a search committee of board members who will begin to develop our process as we begin to look for our next leader,” Hile said.
That’s happening a lot sooner than expected, considering Green is just two years into a contract with options through 2018. When he took the job, he promised to end a virtual revolving door of superintendents.
Green says that’s a promise he had to weigh against his desire to be near family in the Atlanta area.
“But I think my tenure has been, all things compared, longer than some for quite some time, even with four years,” Green said.
In the end, his grandkids won out. Green says he'd rather focus on accomplishments during his tenure than its length.
“Well, I promised to bring stability. I promised to increase student achievement. I promised to stave off state takeover,” he said.
Green did all that. Now a new superintendent could take KCPS in a totally different direction.
Green was trying to bridge the divide between the public school district and Kansas City’s many charter schools.
In fact, the district seemed close to announcing a high school partnership with French-immersion charter Academie Lafayette when talks stalled this spring.
Academie Lafayette Board Vice President Marvin Lyman says he thinks the high school can still happen if KCPS sticks to the master plan developed under Green.
“Any leader that comes after Dr. Green, I’m sure the KCPS school board is going to do its due diligence to get the best fit for KCPS,” Lyman says.
Hile said it was too early in the search process for the board to prioritize a willingness to form partnerships. Lyman, however, acknowledged he expects those considerations to take a backseat to the district’s immediate need for leadership.
“More importantly are the students and those families in KCPS that are going to be directly affected by the decision of Dr. Green to leave,” Lyman says.
It’s as-yet unclear what Green’s sudden exit will signal to State Board of Education members, who’ve asked the district to continue showing improvement for full accreditation. It's possible they'll see Green's exit as destabilizing.
For his part, a visibly emotional Green struggled to deliver a parting message to the teachers who feel he’s giving up mid-mission. He leaves June 30.
“There’s a point in which you follow a leader and believe in a leader. But the leader’s responsibility is to make sure those who are following believe in themselves. I would say to the teachers – ah shoot,” he said, choking up.
Hile clapped Green on the back.
“You can do this,” Green continued. “I’ve just helped you believe in yourself.”
