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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > May > 16 > Entry
Mack: Best thing about Dayton was how it “embraced me”
(Mack is sworn in as superintendent by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice in 2002)
A lot of things looked really bad for Dayton schools when Percy Mack took over as superintendent in July of 2002.
The district report card rating was worst in the state. It was closing schools and shifting students around to save money. And a large bond issue for school construction loomed just a few months away.
But Mack had no hesitation about taking the job. It was his first shot at a superintendency and people who wanted the school district to change quickly rallied around him. Thinking back on the last six years, Mack this afternoon cited that instant support and continuing community commitment that he remembers most fondly.
“The way the people in this community embraced me as a person, not just as a superintendent — the kindness and great treament — it was key to our achievements with school district,” he said.
Mack, 57, insists he is not running away from Dayton. He said he wanted to stay but he feels the pull of family commitments in the south. His children and grandchildren live in Georgia.
“Dayton has been home for me,” he said. “The only thing that would change that would be family. My family is very important to me. Right now I have to support them. The sacrifice in moving had to be mine.”
Columbia, S.C., is a short drive to his childhood home of Savannah, Ga., and Atlanta, where other family members live. It was a very good fit, he said. The school district is a bit larger than Dayton and Mack said he felt the community there was similarly committed to improving schools.
“I’ve been blessed throughout my career to be placed in locations that fit my skill sets,” he said. “The Columbia area and the district there fit those skill sets.”
As he leaves Dayton, Mack said he recalls fondly the reform work initiated by the Kids First team of school board members led by Gail Littlejohn and the way the school boards that followed have carried on that work.
“We were all competitive in wanted the best for kids and for the district,” Mack said. “There were so many who said we couldn’t be done. We were committed to make it happen.”
What followed, he said, was widespread buy-in across the district from teachers, parents and students.
“They embraced me and my vision of the school district,” he said. “It became our vision for the school district.”
(Image credit: Bill Reinke, DDN)
NOTE: See pictures of Mack through the years in Dayton here.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: Dayton Public Schools
Comments
By dps teacher
May 18, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
Oh, such fond memories of Dr. Mack….Like the day I gave him a tour of ur building and introduced him to one of my high achieving students who was being raised by his older sister after his mother died when her was in first grade. THe young man was on an all city basketball team and they discuss his interest in this sport. When Dr. Mack invited him to attend an upcoming Cleveland pro game the young man lit up. I was impressed, but knowing how busy Dr. Mack was, we followed up the visit with an email with a thank you as a reminder of his invitation to this game. Well, that was four years ago and this young man is still waiting to go to that much awaited game. Like so many of Mack’s ideas - just a bunch of empty promises. Farwell and good riddance, Percy. We’ve seen ‘em come and we’ll see more of his like go. They are a dime a dozen.By DWhite
May 17, 2008 6:00 PM | Link to this
A school district is a direct reflection of the community. The students are products of the families and the community that surrounds them. Dr. Mack embraced the familes and this community and did everything he could to make them better. In leadership you have to make the hard decisions and accept the fact that you become the “light rod” for the impact of those decions. There is no way you can make everyone happy with every decision you make. When Dr. Mack took over he provided stability and direction. The district moved forward under his leadership. The true question becomes, what are WE going to do as a community to keep the district moving forward? What happens next is a direct reflection of our community and the impact will be felt by our children.By Davidss2
May 17, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this
“His children and grandchildren live in Georgia.” Wouldn’t it be better to just move the kids and grandkids here and give them, I mean get them, jobs in the distrit or through the friends in all the businesses who actually run the DPS? Lots of jobs have been given to friends and family through the years—some people get Lucky that way getting those jobs. If Mack were truly dedicated to the district that’s what he would have done.By daniel
May 17, 2008 9:08 AM | Link to this
everytime he was on tv it made dayton look bad!!!!!!he couldnt even speak proper english!!!! glad to see him go!!!!By School Supporter (Classic)
May 17, 2008 8:30 AM | Link to this
I want nothing to do with (squatter) School supporter’s bashing of Dr. Mack. Any DPS superintendent needs to win the trust of both Blacks and Whites and work effectively with Dayton businesses and unions. That’s a tall order and other community members need to step in to help make that happen. Is Dayton’s religious community so balkanized they can’t effectively contribute? What are the downtown churches doing to bring the religious community together with the business community to support DPS? What are they doing to bring Black churches together with White churches? You can’t have leadership without followership, and this reluctance (or is it ignorance?) to support DPS risks making the district ungovernable. It’s not enough to march to the Peace Bridge, sing Kumbaya, and (selectively) denounce racism!By Mary
May 17, 2008 6:41 AM | Link to this
But Avoice, Dayton Public Schools also has a newly remodeled Welcome Stadium. Maybe Columbia will too, if it does not already. So many school districts are like Massillon, Ohio in the documetary “Go Tigers” - an immaculate stadium, but classrooms with water dripping through the roof and no textbooks. What a doofus culture we have.By OU812
May 16, 2008 8:47 PM | Link to this
I don’t think anyone is really surprised Mack is leaving. If he’s not looking why is this the second district he’s interviewed with in the last year. What I think needs to be investigated is the fact that he recently recieved a huge raise when supposebly the district doesnt have any money. Why should he get a raise when none of the non-union employees in the district has been afforded a decent raise in several years. Thats been the BIG THANK YOU Dr. Mack gave his staff for doing the work to get the district out of academic emergency. If he is a decent individual and truly thankful he will give his nonunion employees a decent raise for all the years of hard work!!!By School supporter
May 16, 2008 7:43 PM | Link to this
The only ones that will miss Mack are all the people and businesses that enriched their salaries with his help. The district is in much worse shape than when he arrived. Within three months of his departure everyone will learn exactly how much of the farm he gave away!By steve
May 16, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this
I believe AVOICE says it all.By teacher
May 16, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this
Oh happy day! Do the happy dance! Now, someone go out and find Dr. Gerry House - FAST - and get her in here to save this sunken ship.By Lorana M. Kelly
May 16, 2008 3:08 PM | Link to this
Percy mack was very good for our school system and will be missed.Of course I did’nt agree with him on everything, but he did bring up our report card ratings.By Avoice
May 16, 2008 3:00 PM | Link to this
What a surprise! So let�s review. The Kids First team with Gail Littlejohn is gone and the school system is a mess. Percy Mack has been job searching (no matter what he says) and the school system is a mess. Oh yes, we have new buildings but fewer and fewer teachers to teach in those buildings. His promises to steer the district through troubled times were nothing more than political boasting that would insure him a job until he found a better paying position. Remember those promises and ideas from past convocations teachers? Remember how you were to sacrifice and stay the course and work harder? How you were to embrace him as a great leader for change. Do DPS teachers feel that great change? Are DPS kids better off? Just ask teachers and parents. Seems as though you were duped just like the media when Franklin, James and now Percy told people that they were staying here to make things better. (Isaacs says that she is sad for herself and Dayton while she ought to be sad for the sorry state that DPS is in! Don�t worry about Percy Ms. Isaacs, he took good care of himself.) Debra Brathwaite has been job searching and the school system is a mess. Teachers en-mass were let go, classrooms are full beyond the maximum limit, scores will continue to be among the worst and where is the accountability? I know where the accountability is, it was supposed to be to DPS students and taxpayers. Instead, we still have a top-heavy system with people who are self-serving and care only about the next position and made-up titles. It is shameful, shallow behavior and I have no clue how these people sleep at night.