Q&A with Percy Mack

Percy A. Mack, superintendent of Dayton, Ohio, city schools since July 2002, will be Richland 1's new superintendent, starting in July.

The following is a Q&A from last week with Mack, before he was announced as the new leader:

What strategy have you found effective as superintendent that has improved the learning environment in your school system?

Mack: You work on curriculum alignment. You make sure your resources support that alignment. You have to have a professional development plan that makes sure all your staff is trained on how to drive that curriculum. We focused on literacy and mathematics. We had to convince parents that writing was important. We went as far as working with churches emphasizing that (children) needed to do more writing.

What about Richland 1 appeals to you?

Mack: I have seen and read information about how the overall community was starting to work with schools. It can’t just be the school district alone. Kids have to be school-ready when they hit that door. You have to have a community learning environment to make your school system go well.

Characterize your current school system and how it measures up to accountability standards?

Mack: Our school system was in academic emergency when I came in 2002. We’ve achieved continuous improvement but have slipped back to academic watch. A lot of districts in our state did. It’s especially difficult on the urban districts. In spite of that, we improved in 16 of the 23 categories. Our graduation rate improved from 76 percent to 79 percent last year. Attendance was over 91 percent (for the first time in his tenure).

What would you like people in Columbia to know about you as a professional educator?

Mack: I’m absolutely committed to the success of children. I’ve been a teacher, coach, principal and assistant superintendent. At every level, I have focused on what was right for kids, supporting the staff so they can do the things that need to happen and help kids be successful. I’m out in the community. There are no boundaries for me. I have the passion for it, the will for it. Every place I’ve been, I’ve given all that I have.

— Bill Robinson