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When Dr. Todd A. Walker stepped in as superintendent of Richland One on July 1, 2025, he didn’t waste time in laying the foundation for change. His early work has centered not on mandates or sweeping policy moves, but on a careful, participatory entry plan designed to engage stakeholders, diagnose strengths and weaknesses, and build a long-term vision. This “90-Day Strategic Entry Plan” sets the tone for what many hope will be a more transparent, accountable, and community-centered era in Richland One, Columbia, SC.

I had the opportunity to support Superintendent’s Walker intentional entry work earlier this month as a part of his Academic Performance and Leadership Transition Team and his invitation to include trusted advisors as a part of the process. The district is comprised of over 21,000 students, more than 4,000 employees, and a budget exceeding $500 million.

A key pillar of Walker’s approach has been hosting “Listening & Learning Sessions” across the district. Throughout September and October, he’s opened forums for students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members to weigh in on what matters most to them—and what they want Richland One to become. The sessions are informal and designed to elicit honest feedback, not just from leadership but from everyday people who live the realities of the district. Venues like community centers, schools, parks, markets, and churches have all been used, demonstrating an effort to meet people where they are.

Superintendent Walker outlined early goals that include strengthening academic outcomes, improving transparency in operations, and addressing financial concerns. These are not vague aspirations: his entry plan lays out that by the end of his first 90 days, he will deliver a written report of findings to the Board of School Commissioners. Then, at 120 days into his tenure, a draft of “Vision 2030” for the district will be presented to the public.

This structured timeline helps set clear expectations both for what the community can expect and when, and for how Dr. Walker will measure initial successes. It also opens pathways for accountability: the community and Board will have documented benchmarks to assess what has been heard, what has been acted upon, and what remains in progress.

While the Listening & Learning Sessions are wide in scope, the early focal areas are clear:

• Academic improvement: Walker is looking at what is—and isn’t—working for students’ learning and outcomes.
• Financial stewardship: He has made clear that stabilizing and clarifying the district’s finances will be a priority.
• Building trust through transparency: Whether it’s through broad community input, public reporting, or more open operations, Walker appears committed to restoring confidence in the district’s leadership.

Superintendent Walker’s entry plan is ambitious—but it’s also grounded in fundamentals: engagement, clarity, and follow-through. The listening-learning model gives space to people who are often overlooked, while the clearly timed deliverables offer accountability. As Richland One moves forward, the real test will be in translating what’s heard into what’s changed—and doing so in a way that’s visible to the community. If Walker’s early steps are any indication, he understands that trust is built not just by intention, but by consistent, tangible action. Wishing Superintendent Walker and the Richland One community every success in the work ahead.

In her influential book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, 2013 McArthur Fellow and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, Angela Duckworth offers a compelling argument for why long-term success depends less on innate talent and more on sustained effort, commitment, and resilience. For school system leaders navigating the complexities of today’s educational landscape, Duckworth’s insights are both timely and essential.

At the heart of Grit is the idea that achievement stems from a blend of passion and perseverance. Passion, as Duckworth defines it, is not a fleeting interest but a deep, enduring commitment to a purpose. Perseverance is the stamina to stay the course through obstacles, setbacks, and changing circumstances. School leaders who embrace grit not only model these qualities for their teams but also create cultures that prioritize growth, resilience, and high expectations for both students and staff.

Duckworth dismantles the myth of talent as the primary driver of excellence. Instead, she introduces the “effort counts twice” equation: talent x effort = skill; skill x effort = achievement. For superintendents, principals, and central office leaders, this formula reframes how we think about building capacity in our schools. It is not about finding the most “gifted” teachers or students but about cultivating environments where sustained effort is celebrated, supported, and rewarded.
A key takeaway for system leaders is the concept of “deliberate practice.” Duckworth emphasizes that grit grows when individuals engage in focused, intentional work aimed at continuous improvement. For schools, this translates into robust professional development, data-driven instruction, and coaching that encourages iteration rather than perfection. Leaders can drive systemic change by ensuring teachers and students alike are given the structures and supports to practice deliberately and persistently.

From July 13–16, 2025, over 1,800 educators, policy makers, students, families, and community partners converged in San Francisco to celebrate and advance the mission of GEAR UP at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. GEAR UP is a nationally recognized federally funded college‑access initiative with nearly $388 million annually, that serves hundreds of thousands of students. This conference plays a pivotal role in powering those efforts: it’s where promising practices and strategies are shared, policies are shaped, coalitions are built, and futures are envisioned.

The conference featured more than 120 concurrent sessions—from intimate workshops to dynamic panel discussions—designed to serve everyone from college-career access advisors and family-engagement specialists to grant managers, evaluators, and student leaders. Sessions spanned critical topics like bolstering college‑career readiness cultures, navigating FAFSA and financial aid, using data strategically, and fostering student mental well-being.

Central to the experience were powerful plenary presentations. Featuring recognized voices from education policy, business philanthropy, and legislative advocacy, these sessions offered a compelling backdrop for deep dives in concurrent workshops.

Meanwhile, the conference showcased specialized learning institutes including:

• Family Leadership Institute – equipping families with tools, resources, and strategies to act as champions for their students.
• Youth Leadership Summit – empowering young leaders through high quality learning opportunities focused on life, leadership, and learning to learn skills.
• District Leadership Institute – guiding school district administrators and college-access practitioners in crafting sustainable college-career readiness strategies.

I was particularly moved by Dr. Karen Arcos, a first-generation Latina, GEAR UP alumna, and University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Santa Cruz, who shared her inspiring leadership journey. Losing her sight as an infant, she confronted and overcame barriers with resilience and determination—completing her Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience with a Field Emphasis in Chicano/Latino Studies from UC Irvine and earning prestigious honors like the NSF Graduate Fellowship and Ronald E. McNair Scholar recognition.

Her leadership story resonated deeply during her plenary session, where she recounted being advised by her high school special education staff to downscale her dream of attending university in favor of a two-year college, Arcos a psychology major and Spanish minor, stuck to her guns, overcoming multiple challenges to attend USC for undergraduate studies. She was also offered a one-year master’s program at Harvard University but chose to pursue her graduate studies at UC Irvine, undertaking the five-year Ph.D. program.

At the conference, Dr. Arcos emphasized the power of “representation through action.” She described how, by mentoring students directly—offering coaching on admissions, research opportunities, and self-advocacy—she modeled pathways into higher education. Her story wasn’t only a personal triumph; it was a call to action for GEAR UP attendees to center empathy and accessibility in their own programs.

By the end of her session, she had sparked a wave of enthusiasm among educators and administrators: a collective commitment to integrate mentorship, equity, and culturally responsive practices into their work. In channeling her own journey—”from blind child to doctoral scholar”—into actionable leadership, Dr. Arcos exemplified what it means to plant seeds of change, reaffirming GEAR UP’s mission of access, belonging, and student empowerment for all.

The 2025 NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference wasn’t just an event—it was a movement. By creating spaces for collaboration, innovation, and leadership, it reaffirmed a fundamental belief: when given the right support, every student can thrive. Here’s to continuing to plant seeds, nurture dreams, and shape brighter futures.

June unfolded as a tapestry of milestones—a grand opening, an educational leadership and principal pipeline deep dive, heartfelt remembrance, and a historic sports triumph.

On Saturday, June 7, the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Tennessee Career Academy in Memphis, TN marked their grand opening. Led by Founder and Executive Director, Dr. John Barker and Head of School, Dr. Meah King, the new charter middle school debuted its Career and Technical Education (CTE) mission for grades 6–7, with plans to expand into a full 6–12 campus by 2028 (tncareeracademy.org). It was inspiring to witness the first cohort of students, families, and educators celebrate this leap toward empowering youth through career-connected learning. The energy was uplifting for a community assumedly ready to invest in the future.

Just days later, I traveled to Columbus, OH for The Ohio State University’s “2025 Leading for Success Summer Institute.” Over three days—June 9 to 11—I immersed myself in inspiring leadership workshops, networked with peers from across the Wallace Foundation’s principal pipeline Equity Centered Partnership Initiative (ECPI) as a thought partner, and reflected on inclusive strategies that bridge theory and practice to serve our most vulnerable students. The amazing keynote speakers and sessions on adaptive leadership, fairness and inclusion in education, and stakeholder engagement were especially relevant, challenging assumptions, and reinforcing my leadership learning journey in both purpose and skill.

On June 14, I joined friends, colleagues, and the Quinn family in Traverse City, MI, to celebrate the life of Tim Quinn—a mentor, dear friend, and guiding light. Tim’s warmth, wisdom, and unwavering integrity shaped so many of our paths. In the circle of shared stories—his laughter, his advice, the lessons he imparted—honored a legacy of mentorship. It was a day of tears and gratitude. His influence lives on in the ripple effect of every life he touched, and I emerged from that service both mourning the loss and feeling profoundly inspired.

Closing out the month on a high note, June 22 saw the Oklahoma City Thunder win their first NBA Championship since relocating from Seattle in 2008—and the franchise’s second title ever—defeating the Indiana Pacers 103–91 in Game 7. Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander earned Finals MVP honors after dropping 29 points and 12 assists, securing a rare trio of accolades: regular-season MVP, scoring champion, and Finals MVP in the same season. The television audience reportedly averaged 16.4 million viewers—the most in six years —captivated by the youth, grit, and competitive spirit of our beloved Thunder young guns.

What ties these experiences together? It’s about new beginnings and enduring legacies—from the students starting fresh at TCA, to leaders sharpening their clarity at OSU, to honoring a mentor whose wisdom endures, to a young team seizing a momentous victory. Whether we’re shaping futures or honoring the past, these events are reminders: growth demands intention, leadership calls for heart, and greatness—on the court or in our lives—comes from teamwork, resilience, and belief.

As July approaches, I carry forward lessons from each milestone: educational purpose, leadership with empathy, gratitude for personal connections, and the power of courage in defining moments. Here’s to nurturing every opportunity and honoring every mentor—on and off the court.

As the 2024–2025 school year draws to a close, we pause to reflect on the journey of teaching and learning over the past ten months. Across the country, classrooms have been filled with curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and challenges. Through it all, one constant has remained: the unwavering dedication of our public school educators.

This year, educators have once again proven that their work is not only a profession—it is a calling. Teachers have faced increased academic demands, heightened student needs, evolving technology, and ongoing cultural and political tensions that make their jobs more complex than ever. Despite these challenges, they’ve continued to show up with determination, compassion, and the belief that every child has the potential to learn and thrive.

We celebrate teachers who greeted students each morning with a smile, even on the hardest days. We honor school counselors and social workers who provided emotional support and helped students navigate trauma, anxiety, and uncertainty. We recognize paraprofessionals, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and custodians whose contributions ensure that schools are safe, welcoming, and functional spaces for all. And we thank school and district leaders who shouldered the responsibility of keeping systems running while balancing the diverse needs of students, staff, and families.

The work of education is deeply human. It’s the late nights grading papers, the weekend planning sessions, the phone calls home, and the quiet moments encouraging a student who needs extra support. It’s also the joyful breakthroughs—the moment a struggling reader finally connects the sounds, the pride of a senior earning their diploma, and the laughter in a well-run classroom community.

As the school year ends, we must resist the urge to rush into the next. Let this be a time to rest, recharge, and recognize the emotional and intellectual energy that educators have poured into our students. It’s also a time for gratitude—not only from communities to schools, but within schools themselves. Recognizing each other’s efforts and celebrating small wins fuels the culture of collaboration that sustains long-term impact.

Public education remains the foundation of a strong democracy and an equitable society. Our educators—across roles and regions—are its stewards. As they close out 2024–2025 school year, we offer our deepest appreciation to all those who made learning possible this year. You are seen. You are valued. And you are the heart of our schools. Thank you.
“Even on your worst day in the classroom, you can still be a student’s best hope,” Manny Scott.

For decades, debates over the role of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) have intensified, with some advocating for its complete dismantling. Critics argue that education should be a state and local responsibility, while others see federal oversight as essential for fairness and national progress. To understand this debate, we must examine the agency’s origins, purpose, common misconceptions, and the potential consequences of eliminating it.

The Historical Context of the U.S. Department of Education

The federal government has played a role in education since the 19th century, but the ED as we know it was established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter. Its creation aimed to centralize education policy, enforce federal civil rights laws, and promote educational excellence nationwide. However, opposition arose immediately, particularly from conservatives who viewed it as federal overreach into a state responsibility.

Calls to abolish the department gained momentum under President Ronald Reagan, and later, the Tea Party movement and modern conservative groups have reignited the discussion. The argument largely hinges on state sovereignty and concerns over bureaucratic inefficiencies.

The Purpose of the U.S. Department of Education

The ED’s primary responsibilities include overseeing education policy, supporting state and local education systems, and:

• Administering federal funds to support K-12 and higher education, especially for low-income students and special education programs.
• Ensuring civil rights compliance, enforcing laws such as Title IX and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• Conducting research and setting national education standards, helping states and schools access data-driven strategies for improvement.

While states retain control over curriculum and school administration, federal oversight helps ensure that all students, regardless of geography or socioeconomic status, receive a fair education.

Misinformation and Misconceptions

Opponents of the ED often claim that it dictates curriculum, imposes unnecessary mandates, or wastes taxpayer dollars. In reality, the department has no control over curriculum decisions or what is taught in schools—those remain with states and local districts. In 2024, only 4% of the federal spending was by the Department of Education. Additionally, federal funding accounts for only about 10-14% of total K-12 education spending, dispelling the notion that it dominates state education budgets.

The Argument for States’ Rights

Abolition advocates argue that education is best handled by states, allowing for localized decision-making and innovation. They claim that federal intervention leads to a one-size-fits-all approach, hindering states’ ability to tailor education to their specific populations. The 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which reserves powers not delegated to the federal government for the states, is often cited as justification.

However, history reveals that leaving education entirely to the states has often led to systemic civil rights violations, disproportionately harming marginalized students. Before federal intervention, many states upheld racially segregated schools, denying Black students’ equal educational opportunities until the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and Brown II (1955), Morgan v. Henningen (1974) and Boston’s public schools court ordered desegregation ruling. Similarly, students with disabilities were routinely excluded from public schools until federal laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandated their right to education. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX protections for women and LGBTQ+ students further highlight how federal oversight has been necessary to ensure equitable access to education.

Consequences of Dismantling the ED

Eliminating the ED would have significant implications, including:

• Funding disparities for disadvantaged students, particularly those in rural and low-income communities, and students with disabilities.
• Weakened civil rights enforcement, leading to reduced protections in education access and quality at the state level.
• Reduced research and innovation, as federal grants for education research would disappear, limiting nationwide improvements.

Conclusion

While the debate over the Department of Education is rooted in stated concerns about bureaucracy and state authority, dismantling it could create more harm than good. A balance between state control and federal support is necessary to ensure an equitable, high-quality education for all students and especially our nation’s most vulnerable learners. The real challenge is reforming, not eliminating, the ED—streamlining its role while preserving protections for America’s most vulnerable learners.

Every February, Black History Month serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience, brilliance, and contributions of Black individuals throughout history. It is more than a moment of reflection—it is a time to celebrate the deep ancestral connections that bind Black communities across generations, from food and faith to shared spaces of gathering. It is also a moment to recognize Black excellence in every arena, including sports, arts, and education, as well as to confront challenges that persist in society.

Ancestral Connections: The Roots of Community

For Black communities, history lives not only in textbooks but also in traditions passed down through generations. Food, for instance, is a sacred bridge to ancestry—recipes like gumbo, collard greens, jambalaya, and black-eyed peas tell stories of survival and adaptation, influenced by West African, Caribbean, and Southern cultures. Worship remains a cornerstone of resilience, with Black churches historically serving as both spiritual and social hubs that fueled movements for justice. Likewise, the act of coming together—whether in barbershops, beauty salons, or family reunions—reinforces the communal spirit that has been vital to Black endurance and joy.

Super Bowl LIX: A Testament to Black Excellence

This year’s Super Bowl LIX carried deep historical weight, as it featured two Black quarterbacks leading their teams—an achievement that echoed the groundbreaking victory of Doug Williams in 1988, the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. Williams’ triumph shattered myths about Black athletes’ ability to lead at the highest levels. Now, with stars like Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson taking center stage, the legacy continues, proving that Black excellence is not only present but dominant in the NFL.

However, the game was not without controversy. Kendrick Lamar, a Pulitzer Prize-winning artist known for his unapologetic commentary on race and society, performed at the halftime show. While some appreciated the performance steeped in Black pride and social consciousness, others—particularly conservative voices—criticized the NFL for embracing artists who challenge mainstream narratives. The discourse surrounding his performance highlights the ongoing struggle for Black expression in historically exclusive spaces.

In society, Black History Month is a call to action. It urges institutions to not only recognize past injustices but also to commit to policies that promote fairness, inclusiveness and access, whether in hiring practices, media representation, or criminal justice reform. The month serves as both a celebration and a challenge: to honor Black history authentically and to ensure that its lessons inform a more just and inclusive future for all.

As we commemorate Black History Month in 2025, we are reminded that Black history is American history—alive in every meal shared, every song sung, every milestone achieved, and every barrier broken. And in the recent words of a dear friend, Harriet Sanford, “Black is me celebrating my excellence every day. No month or permission needed. No one can take it away!”