MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — The new superintendent for the Madison Metropolitan School District is now on the job.
Dr. Carlton Jenkins spoke at a half-virtual, half in-person press conference Wednesday. His first day in the new role was Tuesday.
He is a UW-Madison alumnus, and even worked as an assistant principal at Memorial High School in the early 90s. Since then, he’s been the superintendent in Saganaw, Michigan, and the Chief Academic Officer of the Atlanta public schools system.
Jenkins, who is Black, is the district’s first-ever person of color to become superintendent.
“[Being the first Black superintendent] says that we’ve made some progress. But to be the first, in 2020, it says to me that we have a lot more work to do,” Jenkins said. “We must develop anti-racist practices and live those out each and every day. And I’m not just saying the school system.”
One of his biggest priorities in the new role will be closing Madison’s achievement gap between white students and students of color. Jenkins said faculty and families will need to have an open dialogue to continue to improve the learning experience for non-white children.
Jenkins said he wants to focus on improving reading levels and proficiency, saying that can help to close the achievement gap in other subjects.
“We have some areas in which we have shown some increases,” Jenkins said. “But what are gonna be the things that move the needle for all of our children when it comes to reading? It’s fundamental to everything else rising up.”
Of course, he’s starting in the new role at a strange time, with students not returning to campus to start the fall semester. Jenkins was previously superintendent of the Robbinsdale Area School District, the first district in Minnesota to shut down in-person classes because of the pandemic.
He said while students have to make up for lost learning time, he will not open the district for in-person classes until it’s safe.
“We’re gonna be making decisions for our district, and I say our district we’re talking about the Madison Metropolitan School District, based upon the evidence and the science of what’s gonna be good for our students,” Jenkins said. “We will not put at risk any student, any staff, or any parent, any community person coming into our schools.”
Jenkins believes district administrators have to strike a balance between advancing learning and caring for students’ mental and emotional health.
“This is serious. The mental health piece […] we’re in COVID-19 right now. And trust me, I want our academics to move forward. Fast,” Jenkins said. “But not at the expense of harming our children, harming our staff, and harming our community.”
Jenkins said he expects to spend a lot of time listening over the next few months, both for ways to improve virtual learning in the short-term, and how to allow for more equitable education in the long-term. He emphasized that parents may not always agree with the district’s decisions, but that he wants to maintain an open dialogue with families.