4th superintendent finalist interviewed by The Item: Prince speaks about his plans for Sumter School District
Sumter School District is in the final stages of its search for its next superintendent, and it welcomed its fourth and last finalist candidate to Sumter on Thursday.
The district's school board interviewed MiUndrae Prince in an executive session behind closed doors at Sumter High School. In the hour before the interview - which is customarily held in executive session out of the public's eye - Prince spent time meeting community members at a public reception in the Sumter High Commons Area.
The following is a Q&A between The Sumter Item and Prince. See The Item's coverage on our website for interviews with the other finalists this week.
The school board and district plan to announce the new superintendent in early May, possibly next week. The scheduled start date for the next leader is July 1.
Outgoing Superintendent Penelope Martin-Knox, who served three years in the role, finishes her position officially June 30 before she begins her next job as superintendent in a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, on July 1.
Question, The Sumter Item: What do you consider your biggest strength and focus?
Answer, MiUndrae Prince: A systems leader for results in student achievement.
Q: What do you consider Sumter School District's strengths?
A: The strengths of the district are its children. I say that because our children rise to the level of expectations that we have of them. If we have high expectations of our children, that is what they are going to give us.
The second strength of this district is its teaching pool. There are dedicated teachers here in this district who I believe want the best for the children whom they teach.
The third strength of the district is its caring community. I have heard over and over and I have seen through some of the documents that I have read that this community really cares about this district and the children that it serves. This district wants the best, and I think this district is going to rally behind leaders who make decisions that are in the best interest of children.
Q: What do you consider Sumter School District's challenges?
A: In a sense, those strengths can also be challenges. Especially if we get to the point where we rest on what it is that we have going well for us and we don't take into consideration that whole piece that I mentioned earlier about continuous improvement.
While we have some good children here who can learn, I think one other challenge would be that of not pushing students to higher levels of learning, ensuring our kids graduate college- and career-ready with respect to the profile of the South Carolina Graduate. But a part of this district's mission is to prepare students to be local and global citizens. We know that in many cases our students move beyond Sumter and so how do we make sure our kids have the competitive advantage when they leave our schools, and are we doing that.
Secondly, it goes back to our teaching pool. Nationally, we have a shortage of teachers, and so how and what are we doing to make sure that we put the best and the brightest teachers in front of our children. That may mean thinking outside the box of innovative strategies, innovative methods of recruitment and retention, to ensure our kids are getting the best instruction that they need and deserve. With the shortage, districts across the country are grappling with ways to recruit and retain teachers.
Q: How can the district impact the local community?
A: It works both ways. The district can impact the community by making sure that we are graduating students who are college- and career-ready. That means when we talk about the community, what type of partnerships are in place to help our schools have a positive impact on the community?
Now, at the same time, when you turn that around, I think the community can also impact the district. How do we harness those strong partnerships that are already in place and how do we look at what is not in place and garnering the community to help the district?
In many cases, the district can't do it alone. I think it has to be a hand-in-hand approach especially when it comes to our children.
We have a strong military base here, and while we are not saying that all kids have to go -- or must go - into the military, but should they have that desire, certainly we want to ensure that is there, too.
The same thing with various partnerships that align with our Career and Technology Education program. How are we providing students with soft skills and job skills that can support what they may want to pursue later on in life?
Q: How would you approach the current issue of declining enrollment?
A: We have to know why there is a decline. We are coming back from COVID-19. Many may have decided to stay with the virtual schools separate from the district. Another part, is it a certain grade level? Is it a certain type of national trend? Enrollment patterns tend to go through various cycles, where we talk about the population in itself.
It could have something to do with the district, and in some cases maybe it doesn't. But still, it's not something that we can ignore.
Once you know the reasons why there is a decline, then that gives us ways for us to address those reasons or concerns and make necessary adjustments. It may be we look at our teachers to go out and recruit.
The other part of it is we have to tell our story. What I mean by that is, do people really know about the good things that are going on in the district? And do you understand, or do you know, that this is a great district and a good place to educate your child?
So I think all of those coming together could certainly help us understand and address the declining enrollment.