One word dominates conversation of new CCS superintendent Angela Chapman: relationships

When Angela Chapman was promoted from interim to permanent Columbus City Schools superintendent Tuesday night, one word was raised over and over: relationships.

What Columbus Board of Education members and community partners said they see in Chapman is someone who forges relationships and take risks.

The state's largest district of more than 45,000 students had been searching for a new leader since outgoing Superintendent Talisa Dixon announced in December that she would be retiring at the end of the current academic year.

The board chose Chapman at a meeting Tuesday night after an extensive national search that began on March 27.

Board Member Carol Beckerle said Chapman's focus on relationships will be important going forward, and was one of the things that stood out about her.

"Her focus is on relationships — I think they're important to her and important to her on every level," Beckerle said. "And I think that's something you sense, and you feel, and you watch — and we've had a chance to see that over the past few months in action."

Chapman, board to negotiate contract

Board members and Chapman said Tuesday that they planned to negotiate the details of her permanent contract in the near future. Those details will be "shared as soon as it is solidified," according to Board Vice President Christina Vera.

Chapman's current salary is $157,874.68. Dixon's annual salary is $262,520 based on a renewal of her contract last year.

Who is Angela Chapman?

Chapman took over the helm of the district as interim superintendent on Jan. 1.

Dixon brought Chapman into the administration in 2019, and until earlier this year she served as chief transformation and leadership officer.

In her former role, Chapman oversaw many of the district's administrators and academic leaders, such as principals and regional area superintendents. That office also oversees school improvement and school leader recruitment, selection and development.

Chapman previously told The Dispatch that as interim superintendent she had been focused on fully developing the district's strategic plans, including its "Portrait of a Graduate." The plan was developed under Dixon's leadership with input from the community, and Chapman said the district was just beginning to implement some of the pieces.

Chapman also has been prioritizing three areas — early literacy, graduation and attendance — that the Board of Education identified as important academic goals for the district to make improvements on in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She also recently met with U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, who visited Avondale Elementary School and learned about Columbus' early literacy initiatives, including the "science of reading," which emphasizes phonetic reading skills.

Chapman began her career as a teacher and administrator in Ohio, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Akron, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Ashland University, and a doctorate of education in curriculum and instruction from Tennessee State University.

Who else was considered?

Brian McDonald, superintendent of the Pasadena Unified School District in California, and Minneapolis Public Schools Associate Superintendent George Eric Thomas were the other two finalists. They, alongside Chapman, participated in several rounds of interviews.

A total of 31 people applied for the Columbus position, and six people were selected as semi-finalists. The full list of candidates was not made public.

While every board member was in favor of Chapman as the next superintendent, several others said they also liked McDonald's leadership style.

Who conducted the search?

Board members have previously praised the national search conducted to find the next chief executive.

The Columbus City school board approved paying a total of $250,000 to be handled by the Taft Stettinius & Hollister law firm, which has offices in Columbus.

The board also contracted with Ray & Associates, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based firm that specializes in school executive leadership searches, and Fahlgren Mortine, a Columbus-based marketing firm, to assist in the search. All applications were submitted directly to Ray & Associates and the firm had prescreened applicants before presenting them to the board.

Chapman is a 'great leader and partner'

When the U.S. education secretary visited Columbus last month, he took the opportunity to praise the collaborative workforce development initiatives between CCS and Columbus State Community College.

Columbus State President David Harrison said Wednesday he looked forward to continuing the partnership.

"She is a great leader and partner," Harrison said. "We look forward to working with her and her team to help students succeed."

Chapman said her transition to superintendent will allow workforce development and career pathway relationships built with partners like Columbus State to be expanded and built upon.

During the Tuesday meeting, board member Michael Cole said Chapman is "familiar with the city; she is familiar with the stakeholders," but more importantly, he added, the community has told the board they appreciate her leadership.

"That for me became the tilting factor," Cole said.

Even though the union and the district were at a loggerhead that led to a strike by teachers and other staff at the start of the current school year last August, Columbus Education Association President John Coneglio said the union is excited to work with Chapman.

The union represents more than 4,500 teachers and other employees in Columbus City Schools. Last year's strike was the CEA's first since the 1970s. CEA members were on the picket lines for three days before ratifying a contract that included raises, air conditioning guarantees and smaller class sizes.

"The Board of Education made the right choice selecting Dr. Chapman," Coneglio said. "We look forward to continuing our collaboration."

@Colebehr_report

Cbehrens@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Word at center of CCS Superintendent Angela Chapman: relationships