challenges

Strategically

All four new directors of schools said the lessons they learned in strategic planning and managing change to achieve positive outcomes have served them well in their careers, and especially in the past few years.

Dr. Toriano Green (’14) took on his duties as the new superintendent of the Osceola School District in July 2021, but he had worked as assistant superintendent in the small school district near his hometown since July 2018.

Using the SWOT approach (analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) he learned through Lipscomb’s program, Green recognized that in post-pandemic education, Osceola County’s digital platforms needed to allow students to access everything they needed on just one password. He revamped the district’s digital platforms and put emphasis on making sure teachers had the professional development training they needed to maximize the technology for students.

Dr. James Sullivan (’14), was appointed director of schools for Rutherford County, one of the fastestgrowing districts in Tennessee, on July 1. He served as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction during the worst of the pandemic. Now as director of schools, he manages the district’s 6,000 employees serving over 50,000 students at 50 schools.

By October, he had already used some of his strategic planning training at the district’s school board retreat that His former professor, Dr. Candice McQueen (now Lipscomb president) “talked a lot about our circle of concern and the influences that take control and draw energy and focus away from what really makes an impact,” he said.

Covid brought a lot of negative noise, he said, and he sees his job as re-centering everyone on the No. 1 priority: students.

Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder (’17) was also selected as a director of schools this past July, for Clarksville Montgomery

County School System, the seventh largest school system in the state with 39,000 students and 5,400 employees.

The most important piece of her doctoral training, she said, was learning about collaboration. Unlike most Ed.D. programs, Lipscomb’s program groups students together to work on a clientbased dissertation research project. That collaborative model prepares students to engage in high performance teams, which mirrors how educational leaders actually operate in real educational environments and while conducting research, said Dr. Trace Hebert, the founding director of Lipscomb’s Ed.D. program.

Luna-Vedder worked at both the district and state level after earning her Ed.D. That focus on collaboration “forced me to build upon the strength of others and to analyze my own strengths and weaknesses. It allowed me to think more about different personality types and how we all bring different perspectives.” She’s bringing that insight to Montgomery County schools post-pandemic where it will help her break down silos in the system, strive to make sure everyone is seen and heard and to appreciate the value of surrounding herself with leaders who balance her own strengths, she said.

Dr. Toriano Green (’14) (at left) vowed to spend at least 60% of every day in the classrooms of his small district in Osceola County Arkansas.

Photo Credit Osceola School District

Dr. Jean LunaVedder (’17) (at right) is using her doctorate training to help bring down silos in the education system in Clarksville.

Photo Credit ClarksvilleMontgomery County School System James Sullivan (’14) was appointed director of schools for one of the fastestgrowing districts in Tennessee, Rutherford County.

Photo Credit Rutherford County School District