Gadsden City Board of Education appoints Blackwell as permanent superintendent

The Gadsden City Board of Education on Thursday removed the “interim” label from Superintendent Keith Blackwell, giving him the job on a permanent basis.

The vote to approve him was 6-1, with Board President Allen Millican, Adrienne Reed, Rita Smith, Mike Haney, Mark Dayton and Nancy Stewart supporting Blackwell's hiring, and the Rev. Z. Andre Huff opposing it. The board voted earlier, 4-3, not to interview candidates for the position.

Details of Blackwell's contract remain to be worked out.

A presence in the Gadsden City system for a quarter-century, he had served in the interim role since August, when former Superintendent Tony Reddick retired.

Another system veteran, Sharon Maness, was named interim assistant superintendent at that time. She will continue in that role; the permanent position remains posted.

Millican said Thursday night that Blackwell's appointment was “well-deserved and well-earned,” adding, “While I am excited about the future, the real winners are our children and the quality of education they will receive under his leadership.”

Blackwell has experience as a teacher, coach and administrator in the system. He taught science and was assistant principal at the old Gadsden High School; was assistant principal then principal at Gadsden City High School; director of school operations for the system; and assistant superintendent.

He said losing the interim label will help him and Maness move forward on some initiatives that they've been planning.

“Obviously, somebody else could have come in and changed what we'd started,” he said. “We didn't want to put teachers and principals in a situation where we did things one way and they got changed a few months later. Obviously, it gives you a better standing as far as making some decisions.”

No. 1 on the agenda is reading, especially with the Alabama Literacy Act of 2019 in place, which mandates that students read at grade level for promotion from the third grade.

Blackwell said the key is promoting not just parental involvement, but community involvement in that quest.

“Studies show that kids who can read on level at an early age are much more likely to have success as they continue on through school, all the way to high school,” he said. “So it's imperative that everyone get involved with our kids across the city in reading. We want to make sure everyone understands how important it is to just let kids read to you, and make sure they understand what they're reading.”

That can of course be a parent, he said, but also could be another family member, a next-door neighbor or a Sunday school teacher at church.

“Reading at that K-3 age builds a foundation,” Blackwell said. “It gives kids a lot better chance of success, plus reading with their peers helps build self-esteem.”

Another priority is improving respect for teachers and ensuring they're in the right frame of mind to ensure a positive educational environment.

“They work hard every day — I witness it — with classes of kids with varying achievement and academic levels that they have to maneuver,” Blackwell said. “We need to support our teachers, and society has gotten away from that.”

Blackwell said fewer people are going into the education field, and those who do aren't staying there or find themselves overwhelmed not just with teaching duties but with paperwork required to meet various state and federal mandates — and negativity from parents.

“Back in the day, teachers were well-respected and if a teacher called a student's home and said they had an issue with a child or that child wasn't acting right, what they said is what people understood,” he said. “Now everything is the teacher's fault.

“Teachers need to know that they're supported outside the realm of their hours,” he said. “They need to know that someone is putting expectations on them from home as far as their grades and behavior, is checking to see where they stand, are communicating with teachers asking, 'What assistance can I give you as a parent?' That's got to get back into play for kids to be successful.”

Blackwell said the system is generally in good shape. “Any system around the state is going to say 'we have things to work on,' and we do,” he added. “We always need to grow as a system and get our kids at the level of achievement they need to me.”

However, community involvement and engagement remains essential there. “It takes everyone,” he said. “We're not just the sole source of our kids' education. It takes a lot of work by a lot of people. Until we learn that, it will be a struggle.”

Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford praised Blackwell.

"Keith is a strong leader, a good friend, and knows how to get things done. I’ve known him for many years, and he is the type of person who can see the bigger picture and find creative ways to give people the resources they need to accomplish their goals," Ford said. "I am excited about the future of our school system under his leadership and look forward to working with him and his team to grow Gadsden."

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Gadsden City Board of Education appoints permanent superintendent