After racial tension, Lee’s Summit has 4 finalists for superintendent. All are white
After clashes over equity pushed Lee’s Summit’s first African American superintendent to resign last year, the school district now has four finalists who could replace him. All are white.
In addition, there isn’t one person of color in the district’s central office or on its school board.
That has some parents concerned over the district’s commitment to diversity.
“Obviously we would like to see more diversity among the finalists, but mostly what we want to see is someone who has had experience with diversity,” said Dana Duncan, who has a son in seventh grade. She said parents are concerned that the candidates come from districts far smaller and often less diverse than Lee’s Summit.
“How can someone who has never dealt with a diverse community come in and read a district that is dealing with diversity concerns?” Duncan said. “This says to me that diversity is not a priority for the board. For this particular board I don’t think that it was ever a priority. And if they say it is, I believe it would have to be on the lowest rung.”
All last school year, Dennis Carpenter, the district’s first African American superintendent, clashed with the school board over his efforts to bring equity training to schools. Carpenter received threats and sought security from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. After mediation with the district over his contract, Carpenter resigned with a $750,000 buyout. He left the district last summer, along with his assistant superintendent of equity and student services.
This week, board members and committees made up of students, faculty and select members of the community were interviewing the finalists to fill his post.
Some of those community members told The Star they’ve heard from parents who said they are frustrated with the lack of racial diversity. Two of the four candidates are women. All are from the Midwest.
“The Board of Education selected four candidates it believes demonstrate the passion, vision and experience to lead LSR7 as it builds successful futures for nearly 18,000 students,” Julie Doane, board president, told The Star in an email. And, she said people are “excited by the four candidates,” and that the board believes each of the “finalists have excellent credentials.”
The board is set to name its new superintendent at its next meeting, Jan. 23. The new superintendent will begin work July 1. The finalists are:
▪ Emily Miller, Lee’s Summit’s assistant superintendent of operations who has been acting superintendent since Carpenter’s resignation. She was a teacher in the district for 10 years before becoming an administrator. Of Lee’s Summit’s 18,000 students, 25% are people of color.
▪ David Buck, superintendent of the Wright City school district, about 50 miles west of St. Louis in Warren County. The district has 1,614 students, of whom 20% are minority. Nearly half qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. And, according to state test scores, 44% are proficient in math and 58% in reading.
▪ Scott Spurgeon, superintendent of the Riverview Gardens school district, in St. Louis. His district is the largest among the outside candidates, with 5,216 students. But with 98% minorities, mostly black, critics say it is far from diverse. Most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. About 14% are proficient in math, and 29% in reading, and the high school has a 90% graduation rate.
▪ Jami Jo Thompson has been superintendent of the Norfolk school district in Nebraska for six years. Of the district’s 4,380 students, 35% are minorities, mostly Latinx. More than 70% are proficient in math, and 51% are proficient in reading.
Why no minority finalists
The school board began its search for a superintendent in August, led by the consulting firm McPherson and Jacobson LLC based in Omaha. Consultants met with students, teachers and community members to determine the characteristics Lee’s Summit wanted in a superintendent.
The stakeholders said superintendent candidates should know “there has been behavior that caused division and distrust in the community,” a consultants report said. There is a general lack of trust within the school district and with the community.”
Consultants were told that “the topic of Equity must be addressed in order for the district to move forward,” that the school board was divided over the issue and that “there is a need for healing.” Consultants also heard that “some members of the district and community are embarrassed by the recent events and negative publicity the district has received — pride needs to be developed again.”
It says the superintendent should “take time to get to know the people, district and community before trying to make big changes,” because “there are traditions that are valued and should be understood.”
Judy Sclair-Stein, the lead search consultant for the firm, said it was made clear that the district wanted “an experienced superintendent” with “a clean background.”
The firm received 24 applications for the position. Three were African American and two were Lantinx, but only one of those five is currently serving as a school superintendent, Sclair-Stein said. The firm narrowed the field to 12, and in the end brought five to the school board. All were white.
“It would have given me great pleasure to bring a candidate of color to the Lee’s Summit board,” Sclair-Stein said. “We tried our very best but we did not get the diverse application pool we were hoping for.” She said the firm advertised the position with the National Alliance of Black School Educators and with the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents.
“We had some candidates (of color) who have amazing potential,” Sclair-Stein said and added that she intends to suggest them for other executive positions in the district.
Carpenter had pointed out that the district lacked diversity among its administration and faculty. Some board members at the time promised to work on hiring more faculty of color and to follow through with equity training.
Regardless of the demographic makeup of the superintendent finalist pool, “the most important characteristic is for us to find an academic leader,” said board member Jackie Clark. But she said she understands that for many parents it’s important that the district continue work on equity.
Sclair-Stein said that every candidate consultants suggested to the board “is very committed to equity and diversity.”
“This is a passion of mine,” she said. “I wanted it for Lee’s Summit as much as if it were my own district.”
When it comes to making her choice for the district’s next leader, Clark said “a superintendent who has success with a diverse student population is one of the characteristics I will be looking for.”
Carpenter was the second superintendent in three years to resign from Lee’s Summit with a significant payout. David McGehee resigned under pressure from parents and board members who accused him of a conflict of interest because of a relationship with school district legal counsel.
This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
