Clarke County School District Superintendent Dr. Demond Means stands by students at the Clarke Central High School JROTC 9/11 Memorial Ceremony. One of Means’ focuses as Superintendent is reducing the racial achievement gap. “We have an achievement issue, but then when you drill down further, we have a racial achievement gap,” Means said. “Everyone has to pause and say, ‘Yes, we have to do a better job and be committed to that work.’” Photo by Luna Reichert
Clarke County School District Superintendent Dr. Demond Means speaks with the ODYSSEY Media Group Editor-in-Chief about his past two years in the CCSD.
Editor-in-Chief Elena Gilbertson Hall: Now that you’ve been superintendent in Clarke County for two years, what are your main reflections on your time here so far?
Clarke County School District Superintendent Dr. Demond Means: I think as a school community we’re still coming to grips with some of the transformation work that we have to do. In my two years here I’ve seen some amazing instruction take place. I’m proud of some of the improvements we’ve seen at places like Howard B. Stroud and Barnett Shoals, some of the improvements we’ve seen academically at Judea Jackson Harris. There have been some positive things that have happened, but I’m still concerned that we have ⅓ of our students who are considered proficient and ⅔ of our students that are not considered proficient. Until we start seeing a change in that ratio and those numbers, we have to all as a community continue to be vigilant in committing to transformation work. Looking at our work and determining how we can get better every day.
EGH: Clarke County has seen quite a few teachers and administrators leave the district this past year. What are your thoughts on the causes of that and how the district can better support its teachers?
DM: I think the focus on teacher retention is a national issue. The typical rate of losing teachers ranges between 13-15% and we fall into that category. I don’t think we were collecting data around exit interviews or how many people were leaving and going prior to my arrival. But the economy is better in Georgia, and so there is more movement across the entire state of Georgia. I don’t think our situation around retention of teachers and administrators is unique to Clarke County. I think it’s a national issue and it’s clearly a state issue.
EGH: Clarke County has continued to expand digital learning over the past few years, so what are your thoughts on the current 1-1 ratio of computers, and what do you see as the future of technology in Clarke County?
DM: I think technology is a tool, it is not the driver of instruction. We have to be careful anytime we use a device or a tool to be the driver of instruction — that’s not good. If the driver is a textbook, or a pencil, or a laptop, that should never be the driver. The driver should be the instruction. The driver should be the quality of the instruction. The driver should be the engagement of the students. So our focus should squarely be on if instruction is of the highest quality in every classroom, every day. If, through that instruction, there is the use of a laptop, then that’s great. If that high quality instruction is through a pencil, then that’s fine. But that should be our focus.
EGH: Clarke Central has recently increased its focus on restorative justice. What is your vision for that as applied to the whole district? Do you see that becoming a district-wide initiative?
DM: I think restorative justice is one strategy in our work around social-emotional learning, and making sure that students have a social-emotional learning environment that is healthy and safe for all. And there are a lot of strategies that can be used. At the elementary level we work with something called second chance — or second step, I can’t remember the name right now — but there is a curriculum we use at the elementary level that teaches social-emotional learning. Obviously restorative justice is another strategy. There are strategies within the larger context of making sure we are making space where each student can grow socially and emotionally. I believe the more training we can provide our staff around restorative, that is best for everyone.
EGH: You were quoted as saying “Clarke County has amazing, hard-working teachers, but they’re not doing the right things which would lift all students up.” In your mind, how do teachers need to alter their methods to reduce the achievement gap?
DM: Our school system has adopted a new instructional framework that allows us to look at the quality of instruction and make sure that instruction is being provided to every student. We have to do a better job at looking at the results of our system. Unfortunately, one-third of our students are considered proficient — they are achieving the goals we want students to achieve in our school system. Two-thirds are not. I’m not satisfied with only one-third of our students reaching the goals we have established, and that two-thirds of our students are not. That’s too many of our students who are behind. The average white student is 3.4 grade levels ahead of the average black student. That’s unacceptable. And this is not an indictment or casting blame on anyone. It’s just to indicate that, as a school system, we have work to do. We have to get better because that’s unacceptable to me. It’s not right. There’s a social justice element to this that we have to professionally pause and say, ‘What can we do better? How can we reform our work so that the results we are getting don’t continue.’
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