Dr. Jan Harris, Dade's new schools superintendent speaks Thursday at the library her predecessor left crippled.
“We’re starting over,” said Dr. Jan Harris, Dade County’s new superintendent of schools.
Dr. Harris was the guest speaker at last week’s meeting of Dade FIRST/Family Connection. The monthly luncheon meeting, held at the Dade County Public Library, is a forum for area social agencies, health, education and church leadership, and any and all other proponents of public well-being in Georg.ia’s northwesternmost county.
In her talk to this full house of Dade doers of good, the school system’s new top administrator stressed reconciliation and a fresh start as she begins her tenure in a county whose relationships with superintendents are sometimes short and sometimes not all that sweet.
“I am declaring this a do-over,” said Dr. Harris, evoking a product called “Mr. Clean Magic Eraser” which would wipe the metaphorical slate clean, as well as to the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. “They forgive everybody of everything,” she said. “Why can’t we do that?”
Dr. Harris replaces Superintendent Cherie Swader, who retired after an unusually short—but apparently sweet—stint at the head of the school system. But Ms. Swader had herself taken over in February 2014 from Shawn Tobin, who, though he left office on a rail only metaphorically, in any case did so abruptly, ahead of schedule, and leaving quite a lot on the slate for Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
The three taxing agencies in Dade, the Dade County Commission, Trenton City Commission and the Dade County Board of Education, had for decades shared the burden of local funding for the Dade County Library, when Tobin in 2012 abruptly zeroed out the school system’s share, dealing the library a crippling blow from which it has never recovered.
Tobin’s bosses, the elected school board members, gave him their stamp of approval on that one but later soured on him, perhaps partially as a result of his splashy public championship of a push to abolish Dade’s so-called 65-5 tax exemption, which excuses senior citizens the school tax on their homes, no matter how valuable. His advocacy for repealing their reprieve won him no love from the seniors, and his argument that “taxes pay for civilization” struck a discordant note with library supporters who had seen his actions close down the library all but three days of the week.
In any case, after losing the support of his board, Tobin had planned to retire at the end of the 2014 school year but in fact decamped in February. The library situation he created persists to this day. After two years of contributing nothing to the library, the school system began kicking in a fraction of its former share, $10,500 annually from its former $37,726, while the city and county governments, also under the gun financially, have struggled unsuccessfully to take up the slack. The library remains understaffed, underfunded and closed Mondays and Wednesdays.
Meanwhile, the Dade Planet looked up Yom Kippur and learned it’s not as easy as blanket forgiveness. The terms means Day of Atonement, on which believers repent, amend their behavior and try to earn forgiveness for their wrongs against God and each other. The Dade County Board of Education will announce its new budget in July, at which point it will become clear if the board and its superintendent intend anything along those lines themselves. If not, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser’s metaphorical job may become a bit tougher.
But back to the meeting.
Dr. Harris described her past: She hails from Florence, Ala., where her father once served as mayor. Starting in Alabama schools as an elementary school teacher, she worked her way up the administrative ranks to principal and ultimately schools superintendent.
She had retired from Alabama schools when she decided to apply for the Dade slot, her husband was on the point of retiring from his own career as “a civilian with the Army,” and the two had built their dream home on a golf course. Why did she leave all that? She made numerous references to prayers and signs from God, and said in any case she and her husband “feel like we’re on vacation every day in this beautiful, beautiful country.”
Using a cross-stitched representation of a little red schoolhouse as a visual aid, Dr. Harris outlined the four cornerstones of her own approach to education: ethics, knowledge, effective relationships and self-reflection/continual improvement.
“Relationships make or break any organization,” she said.
Speaking of relationships, an audience member asked the superintendent what the schools’ would be with home-schoolers under her leadership. Dr. Harris replied that she was committed to the public school system and had spent her whole life in it, but: “To me, the most important thing is that our children become educated.”
She said that today parents have a lot of choice, with the option to educate their children at home or to send them to public schools, private schools or charter schools . “I think the competition is good,” she said.
Another listener said that in Hamilton County, Tennessee, students endure five weeks a year of required testing, and asked her if Dade schools are similarly burdened. Dr. Harris said yes, but that new legislation was shortly to take effect. “Hopefully we’ll have a little bit of a reprieve from the testing monster,” she said.
Other highlights of the meeting:
Brittany Dee of Primary Healthcare/Health Insurance Marketplace said that rules for Obamacare will change significantly for 2017. She urged anyone in need of help with signing up, benefits, appealing or getting an exemption, to come by PHC or call (706) 956-2665, extension 8287. She can also help with Medicaid and Food Stamps.
A representative of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga said that one boy and one girl in Dade County, 10 to 12 years old, desperately need a “Big,” and appealed for local volunteers. Being a Big entails four to six hours a month split into two monthly sessions. Can you help? Call (423) 698-8016.
Carolyn Bradford, who chairs the Dade County Board of Education, says the Dade school system also needs local mentors for children. Call the B of E at (706) 657-4359.
The Trenton Ministry System announced it is offering free food, free child care and free transportation for its “Summer of Recovery” initiative. Recovery sessions are Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. For further information, readers may call TMS at (706) 657-6920.
Manager Marshana Sharp of the Dade Public Library, which hosts the meetings, reported that the library is busier than ever, with 316 children attending the summer reading program and 200 turning up for the federal school lunches the library distributes during the summer, when schools are closed.
Peter Cervelli of the Dade Industrial Development Authority announced that the new Vanguard International Trailer plant that IDA brought to Trenton will open by Aug. 1, starting small but providing the 400 promised jobs it promised Dade “within three years.”
The Dade FIRST/Family Connection luncheon meeting takes place the fourth Thursday of every month except July. Its next meeting is on Aug. 25 at 12:30 p.m. at the library.
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