A graphic shows Clarke County School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott. The CCSD partnered with the Georgia School Boards Association, an organization that provides school boards with various services, during the 2025-26 school year to involve the community as decisions are made to permanently replace former CCSD superintendent Dr. Robbie P. Hooker, who retired in May of 2025. “I’ve been both an educator and administrator. The only way to break that barrier (between district administration and teachers) and to connect those bridges is to get as much buy-in as you can whenever a decision is being made,” Board of Education President Dr. Mumbi Anderson said. “Even if it’s not a popular decision, you’re standing by that decision, (and) you’re explaining to people what you did and why.” Graphic by Peter Atchley, photo by Maypop Wren
The CCSD Board of Education is prioritizing community involvement in the search for the next superintendent, facilitated through a negotiation with the Georgia School Boards Association.
The Clarke County School District Board of Education has begun its search for the next superintendent with a focus on inviting the community to provide feedback throughout the process.
To complete this search, BOE President Dr. Mumbi Anderson and Vice President Mark Evanswere authorized to negotiate with the Georgia School Boards Association, an organization that supports school boards through various services, including board hiring. The BOE and GSBA created a form for district stakeholders to voice their opinions on the choice for the next superintendent with questions focusing on important qualities and previous experiences.
“The most important characteristic that I would like to see (in the next superintendent) is someone who has years of experience working in school districts in multiple capacities,” Anderson said. “Our district is very much poised to have a leader who understands the teachers’ perspective, the students’ perspective and building leadership perspectives.”
The form, which closed on Jan. 31, asked stakeholders what previous positions, personal traits and skills they find most important for the next superintendent to have. For Clarke Central High School Multi-Classroom Leader Brad Williford, this process has the potential to uplift the CCSD’s stakeholders.
“If people feel involved in this process, then they’re more willing to listen to what the new superintendent has to say and provide (them) a little bit more grace, (and) more opportunities to see how things unfold,” Williford said.
After former superintendent Dr. Demond Means resigned in 2019, former CCSD superintendent Dr. Xernona Thomas was appointed without public comment. Thomas resigned for health reasons in 2022, which meant the BOE had to quickly appoint Dr. Robbie P. Hooker to fill the position with him retiring in May of 2025.
“If people feel involved in this process, then they’re more willing to listen to what the new superintendent has to say and provide (them) a little bit more grace, (and) more opportunities to see how things unfold,”
— Brad Williford,
CCHS Multi-Classroom Leader
CCSD Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott was appointed after the district approved the negotiation between the GSBA in 2025, which allowed for community input throughout the search.
“I would hope that (the CCSD) will lead in that (community focused) way, rather than telling people what’s going on and then just kind of walking away,” Anderson said. “(Instead,) being engaged in that change and (saying) ‘Let (the district) hear what you’re going through with a decision that I made,’ and then we can have a discourse as to if this is the best path forward, or if we should maybe pivot.”
