This article is part one of a series about the challenges faced by the incoming superintendent of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools.
The Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education has announced a sole finalist for the superintendent slot — Denise Watts of Houston. Watts has a 20-year track record of administrative leadership, working with diverse populations, and turning around low-performing schools — all qualities asked for by the larger Chatham County community.
But what else does Chatham County want to see in its new superintendent? The answer isn’t so simple.
In the auditorium of Jenkins High School in late March, a crowd of about 50 people gathered to provide feedback.
One retired man said it was imperative that Ann Levett’s replacement have a doctoral degree and management experience, just as Levett did when she took office six years ago. He also wanted an outside hire, someone without the connections and history with the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.
The next person to speak wanted the opposite — she wanted a superintendent with recent classroom experience and a knowledge of “the uniqueness of this community.”
The discordant opinions get at the heart of the challenge in hiring a new superintendent: How do you hire a superintendent who appeases the community’s needs, the board’s requirements and is equipped to tackle the district’s litany of issues?
“In the end, you're never gonna get anybody that has all the qualities that you want, because people just aren't like that,” said Rick Roney, a retired Cisco executive who has become involved in advocating for education reform in Savannah. “So, you really have to pick the two or three things that need to get done and find somebody who has a demonstrated record of doing that excellently someplace else, that's the key.”
Raising the literacy rate, addressing a teacher shortage, and preparing for the growth of western Chatham County were top issues identified by members of the community, including retired teachers, parents, and elected officials. What other priorities will Watts have?
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Diversity, community outreach & leadership
According to an online survey, six public forums, several Board of Education discussions, and a dozen interviews conducted by the Savannah Morning News, people want the new superintendent to be an effective communicator, value teachers and staff, and operate with transparency. But more than any other quality, the ability to work with, understand and educate diverse communities anchored the communities’ feedback.
“It's very important for (my son) to see diversity because society changes,” said James "Jay" Jones, a former Chatham County commissioner, father to a fifth grader, and son of a retired teacher. “When I was in school 30 years ago, the school system was diverse. And I learned because the teachers were there for us, they cared for us, they did for us. It was community oriented.”
SCCPSS teaches 36,000 students, according to 2022 figures. More than three-quarters of the student body is non-white, with Black students accounting for 59% of the population, according to the district. Nearly half of the student body is considered “economically disadvantaged,” or coming from a low-income household.
Parents and teachers such as Jones said understanding the cultural and societal differences between different ethnic and socioeconomic groups is imperative.
“There's a culture of when an African American male comes through, if the teacher doesn't understand the culture, or there's not somebody there who (the teacher) can have a conversation with to understand the culture, then we sometimes punish kids because of their culture, not because of their actions,” said Jones, who is Black.
Research from Vanderbilt University found that cultural differences between teachers and students can lead to disciplinary issues. For example, eye contact, in some cultures, is a sign of respect, while in others it's a sign of rebellion.
Out of nearly 300 written responses to a question on the district’s online survey about top qualities the new superintendent should possess, more than a dozen mentioned a commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity. Several others also stated that the new superintendent needs to work with the community much as she will work within the schools — especially in a community like Chatham County, where memories are long and populations differ from one neighborhood to the next.
Watts is no stranger to diverse communities. Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Schools’ student body is 74% non-white, and Houston is the most diverse city in the country. Both communities struggle with poverty and poverty-related issues, including gun violence and homelessness.
Savannah Alderman Nick Palumbo, who represents District 3, said he wants the new superintendent to be a “bridge builder” who can work with other governments, community organizations and neighborhoods to address specific needs.
“To be the bridge builder that can walk between the many layers and work with, not just our city, but the nine municipalities and Chatham County government… you gotta be a dynamo," he said.
Literacy, teacher shortage, discipline & workforce
Of the multitude of problems facing Watts if and when she takes over this summer, one of the biggest will be addressing the ongoing teacher and staffing shortage -- a nationwide issue felt acutely in Chatham County.
The shortage impacts all levels of employees, including bus drivers, counselors and specialists.
Elaine Snider retired from Jacob G. Smith Elementary in 2021 and felt firsthand the impacts of having less staff and more work.
“They always put things on your plate but aren’t taking anything off the plate,” she said. “They just keep adding.”
As districts nationwide grapple with post-pandemic academic and disciplinary issues, Snider said teachers aren’t given a good enough reason to stay.
“Teachers’ backs are up against the wall,” she said. “And then they just leave because they feel like they don't get enough support from the administration.”
That support comes in the form of pay, classroom assistance, and most importantly, Snider said, disciplinary action.
“Teachers are afraid of students, administration is afraid of parents, and the students are afraid of nobody,” Snider explained.
One comment from the online survey said a lack of discipline has reached a crisis point in Chatham County schools, and the new superintendent doesn’t need to hide from the fact that students need more structure.
“We need someone who is going to come in and help with the large amounts of discipline problems we have, but aren't allowed to write up because our principals are afraid to get in trouble. Our low referrals this year is a SHAM and lie. We should have so many more, but aren't allowed to write them up or heavily encouraged to reconsider or change it. It's wrong and we need a fresh start,” the anonymous comment said.
The district has begun to address “the root causes” of disciplinary and academic issues within classrooms with restorative practices, methods used to address the emotional trauma at the heart of a student’s actions.
The disciplinary problems plaguing Savannah-Chatham schools go hand-in-hand with academic performance.
According to 2022 test scores, two-thirds of SCCPSS third graders were not reading at grade level. In Chatham County, 55% of white elementary students read at or above grade level compared to 24% of Black students, according to the state. The district reported that only 16% of elementary students with disabilities were reading at grade level.
“Thirty-three percent of your students can read a grade level and you're graduating 90% of students. What does a graduation degree mean?” Roney, the retired executive, posited. “It means nothing.”
The district has a plan to raise the reading scores, but some parents such as Jenny McCord, who works with CASA, an advocacy organization for children in the foster system, want to see a broader effort undertaken, especially in a district with high levels of poverty and adult illiteracy.
“I want to see somebody who is willing to educate the whole family, even though I know that's not the mission of a public school, but if you have a parent that can't read, it's going to be a much larger struggle for the students,” McCord said.
Part of the district’s literacy task force plan includes classes for parents and guardians, but the clock is ticking to ensure Chatham County residents are educated and ready to compete for the 16,000 manufacturing jobs with Hyundai Motor Group and its suppliers for the Bryan County Metaplant.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said the district needs to be educating students in not just the areas required for a diploma, but in areas like science, math and engineering — top needs for the incoming manufacturing and logistic companies who are opening as part of Hyundai’s forthcoming EV factory.
“If we don’t exploit and take advantage of our homefield advantage,” Johnson said. “Then people will be pushed out of this economy.”
Apart from the need for jobs — and every other issue people mentioned during the superintendent search — one thing was abundantly clear: hire someone who can educate all of Savannah-Chatham’s students, and find a way to level the playing field.
“Here you hear the phrase generational poverty,” Roney said. “And the way to end generational poverty is to educate people. That's the only way. You're not going to buy your way out of it. You've got to educate people.”
Zoe Nicholson is the investigative reporter covering education, growth and development, and economy for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at znicholson@gannett.com.