Jim Travis: Profile of Empowered Leadership in Education

Jim Travis, Superintendent of the Ferguson-Florissant School District Graduate of NCCJ's Dismantling Racism Institute for Educators   The depth impact and significance of NCCJ's Dismantling Racism Institute for Educators was in a word, surprising.  I had been told it takes a week of concentrated activity to really explore this issue at a personal level, but I really didn't expect it to be necessary.  It is! In the past, I have experienced high quality training centered upon equity.  Going in to DRIE, I felt really good about my acceptance of equity for all races.  The surprise of DRIE was that it is not training as I had come to know training.

NCCJ's Dismantling Racism Institute for Educators gives participants a week to build trust before the real work can begin.  The real key is the personal understanding of the very intimate pain that racism carries into the heart and soul of each individual.

I live in an integrated world that, in turn, has led me to be part of the commitment that burns in the leadership of our district to minimize first and ultimately the terrible impact of racism.  We've done that by celebrating the success of our students; by committing to changes in instruction and interventions that will eventually eliminate the gap between black and white student achievement; and by formal awareness and expectations for training for all adults and children in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.

Most important of these is our commitment to changing the way instruction is delivered.  We will teach in a way that will permit equal achievement at the highest levels for all students.  The gap in achievement among students drives us.  During 2001, the Ferguson-Florissant School District achieved Distinction in Performance recognition from the state.  With a district of majority enrollment of minority students, we cannot be a "District of Distinction" unless our African-American students achieve commensurate with those districts that have far greater number of privileged students.  We have begun and we will succeed.  

Article by Jim Travis, for Fall 2002 Issue of NCCJ's Newsletter