WWW.SHAKER.LIFE | SPRING 2018 47
You’ve said that being
Superintendent of Schools at
Alexandria City Public Schools
was your dream job. How do
you top that?
The only other job I know that I will do on
this earth is U.S. Secretary of Education.
I want to help our country realize the
powerful impact that public education
has on our youth and the asset it will be
to our future. It’s such a crucial part of
our democracy. Public education has been
a key to our success and that focus needs
to come back.
You’ve come full circle to return to your hometown as a leader.
How does it feel?
It feels like the right time, as if it were all meant to be. You know, when Shaker came
calling, everything changed for all of us. And in the end, I think we both benefited
from what I brought to Shaker and what Shaker gave to me.
Wherever your career takes you, what do you want your legacy to be?
I want to be known as someone who empowered our young people to actively engage
in their education and to use their voices as power for positive change. I want them to
know that they have the power to do something about the national achievement gap,
they have the power to ensure that our classrooms are safe for all students, regardless
of sexual orientation, cognitive ability, or race, and that they have the power to hold
their districts accountable to ensure they are engaged in a high quality education that
prepares them for the world. SL
Photograph by Kevin G. Reeves
/WWW.SHAKER.LIFE