Suggs vows positive changes for district after state takeover

The now-interim superintendent of the Little Rock School District said positive changes are coming to the district after the state voted to take it over, a development he said should not be seen as a negative.

Dexter Suggs spoke to reporters Thursday at the district's downtown Little Rock headquarters a day after the state Board of Education voted 5-4 to dissolve the local board and make Suggs an interim leader.

Suggs said he sees the takeover as "something positive" that will lead to his vision of a greatly improved district.

"It gives us an opportunity to write the next chapter in the Little Rock School District," he said. "It gives us the opportunity to do something that many folks thought could not be done in the Little Rock School District."

Suggs, who thanked the dissolved board and the district's teachers, said he was next heading to a meeting with Education Commissioner Tony Wood, who now oversees the district in place of the dismissed local board.

He sought to assure parents and community members that schools are operating normally Thursday even as the state takes control and changes are plotted.

"Let me assure you of this: The Arkansas Department of Education is hard at work developing new plans for academic instruction, helping us define our new direction and also implementing proven strategies we will use in the Little Rock School District," Suggs said. "Now the big question is, does that mean change will soon be coming? Yes, it does."

Suggs vowed the district will "change the dynamics of our school district and we will start in the classroom," though he said he didn't know exactly what the change will look like. He said the district's recently-passed facilities plan "will go forward ... unless I'm told differently."

"We're still going to be very aggressive in doing the things that we promised to this community," he said. "We need another middle school. We need a high school. We need quality facilities."

Asked whether there would be changes for employees of the district, Suggs said his job was the only one which has undergone any adjustment, moving from permanent to interim in nature. But he added later there may be teachers in the district's academically distressed schools it must "say goodbye to" in its effort to assure strong educators in each classroom.

"We want to make sure that every single classroom has a good to great teacher in front of it," he said.

Suggs added he wasn't concerned about how long he will remain as superintendent.

"My goal is you do the best you can while you're here," he said.

The state board voted to take over the district after a special meeting that lasted more than five hours. It was scheduled to consider state intervention because six of the district's schools were classified as being under academic distress: Baseline Elementary, Cloverdale Middle, Henderson Middle, Hall High, J.A. Fair High and McClellan High.

Suggs noted the enthusiasm and sense of accountability that drew dozens of community members to the special meeting and other meetings before it as the state considered which path it would take. He requested that residents within the district continue that action, beginning with the first of a series of district town hall meetings set for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at Chicot Elementary.

Others are set for 5:30 p.m. March 9 at the Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St.; and 6 p.m. April 20 at the Central High School media center.

"I ask the community: Please hold me accountable," Suggs said. "Hold the Arkansas Department of Education accountable. Because we have 25,000 students. We must ensure they are provided with the very best education possible."

Read Friday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.