Camden parents tell search firm what they want in the next leader of its state-run school district

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For the past couple of weeks, HYA Associates has been collecting feedback from residents on what they would like to see in the next superintendent of the Camden City School District.

Overall, those who attended the forum Monday night at Thomas H. Dudley Family School expressed wanting someone who understands the city’s culture and has experience in the classroom.

Clayton Gonzalez, a former school board member, said Camden is not a “one-size-fits-all” school district and that the next leader should not be someone who “believes they understand how to run an entire school district” after just earning an advanced degree.

“I believe that a superintendent coming into our community should represent our people, our students and understand the struggles that exist in our community,” he said.

In explaining the cultural difference between Camden and the suburbs, Gonzalez used an example of what happens when someone in the city turns on a fire hydrant.

“If you on a block [and] you see somebody turn a fire hydrant on, everyone comes out,” he explained. “You do that in Collingswood, they’re calling the cops before you put the wrench to the fire hydrant. That’s just part of the culture that exists in our community.”

Gonzalez was not the only one in the audience who expressed a desire that the superintendent should be representative of the city’s population, as others said they also want someone who understands Camden.

“That’s one of the biggest challenges,” said Camden parent Amirah X. Kane. “We shuffle so many people in these positions that are not from here, don’t look like us, don’t sound like us. We don’t even know where they came from.”

In addition to cultural competency, Kane also wants transparency in the next school leader and sees parents such as herself “as partners and not as troublemakers.”

“Too many times we come to these community meetings and we voice ourselves and [we’re told] we’re being disruptive, we’re being ghetto, we’re being ignorant,” she said. ”Who gives a damn when our city is in a $91 million deficit?”

The point people leading the search have New Jersey roots

New Jersey education officials announced the hiring of HYA Associates at the end of May. A notice on the Camden district’s website said the Illinois-based firm was selected “in a competitive bid process that required multiple rounds of review.”

The bid process opened May 5, more than a month after Katrina T. McCombs announced that she would step down as the state-appointed leader of the district to join the New Jersey Department of Education in July as an assistant commissioner.

Details of the contract, including how much the state will pay HYA Associates, remains unknown. WHYY News is awaiting a response to a public records request.

The search is being led by Dr. Bill Adams, and his wife, Stacey.

“She’s not connected with the shoe company,” quipped Bill Adams, as he introduced himself to the forum.

Bill Adams was a superintendent in Salem County for more than 30 years. According to his profile on HYA’s website, he has led executive searches since 2006, including several New Jersey districts: Collingswood, Moorestown and Newark. He is also leading the search for a new school leader in East Brunswick.

Bill Adams also told the audience that he attended Camden schools from first grade through seventh grade.

“We have a little bit of knowledge,” he added. “But obviously, if you look at me, that was a long, long time ago.”

Stacey Adams’ background is in business management, sales, marketing and educational recruitment. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Nova Southeastern University and a communications degree from Cal State University-Northridge, according to her profile.

Officials hope to have a new state superintendent of schools in place Nov. 1, which could pose a challenge, according to Dr. Tabitha Dell’Angelo, dean of The College of New Jersey School of Education.

“This could be a tricky time to recruit someone, because someone who’s already in that level of leadership might not really want to leave at this point and stick their school district in this position,” she said.

Dell’Angelo said in most instances, an interim superintendent is hired in order to have a larger pool of candidates. She adds that for a superintendent to start in the fall after the school year begins, “even if it’s somebody who’s dynamite,” would not have the opportunity to get their feet wet compared to someone who would begin in July.

“Even as a teacher, I wouldn’t want to start in November,” she added. “That seems like an odd time of the year to start. But, you know, good leaders make it work.”

Charter school parents seek unity

Also in attendance at Monday’s forum were parents whose children attend charter schools in the city.

When Bill Adams asked the audience of more than two dozen people for what they thought was the greatest strengths of the district, LaVonia Abavana, a trustee at Uncommon Schools Camden Prep, said a strength of the outgoing superintendent is putting children first and,   “giving parents the right to choose the best fit for their child, no matter school type.”

Later, one grandparent, who did not identify herself during the forum, said despite some students going to charter and Renaissance schools, “we are still one.” She said all five of her grandchildren are special needs students.

“One of my granddaughters is on a feeding tube, and I don’t want her to continue to feel like she wakes up ‘Oh, I don’t want to go to school because I’m getting bullied because I have a tube in my stomach,’” she said.

Vida Neal, a community activist, said that the state superintendent “has nothing to do with” charter or Renaissance schools.

“Those schools are not governed by the public school district or the superintendent,” she said. “If you have a problem with KIPP, Mastery or Uncommon, you have to call Carmen Rodriguez office in Blackwood,” referring to Camden County’s executive superintendent of schools.

The exchange highlights the tension that exists in Camden’s education ecosystem. In addition to the traditional public schools, there are charter schools and a hybrid called Renaissance schools. Charter and Renaissance schools operate with their own school boards. All of the schools are overseen by Rodriguez.

When McCombs announced the budget deficit for the Camden City School District — the traditional public school district — she blamed part of the shortfall on increased payments to charter and Renaissance schools.

Some in the charter and Renaissance school community want the next superintendent to be more of a partner than an adversary.

“One of the things that we really think is important as we think about the next leader of our district is making sure that we’re looking for efficiencies in cases where programs are great programs,” said Giana Campbell, chief executive officer of the Camden Education Fund, “how do we make sure that those programs are really high quality and they’re impacting as many district students as possible.”

Campbell added that she hopes the next leader sees “the power of choice” in Camden and that “this isn’t about a blame game.” When asked about parents who feel charter and Renaissance schools were gaining at the expense of traditional public schools, Campbell said, “I can’t speak to that.”

Tonia Pease-Beasley has three children who are part of Uncommon Schools Camden Prep: a rising fifth-grader, a rising junior and a new high schooler. She disagreed with what was said about the charter schools during the forum, adding people were “going off of what they’re reading, and they’re not in it, like I’m in it.”

“I have nothing but positive things to say,” she said. “I’ve only seen positivity since my children have attended Camden Prep.”

Though the next superintendent will not oversee Camden Prep, Pease-Beasley wants to see someone in the position who “basically cares about the kids.”

“They need teachers who care about the kids,” she said. “It’s all about the kids at the end of the day.”