What’s on Ann Clark’s superintendent bucket list?

(1) Get a high-quality principal in every school.

“And when I say every school, I mean every school,” she remarks. “And I think we’re really close.”

(2) Make literacy gains.

“I really want us to make big progress in literacy. I didn’t declare literacy as our north star lightly,” says Clark.

(3) Ensure that a CMS diploma means something.

According to Clark, the idea – as of now – would be to ensure that every CMS graduate would leave “with an industry credential or an academic credential,” such as a certification or an AP diploma—something that would be immediately relevant for the worlds of work and college admissions. (She admits, however, that accomplishing this goal will extend into the next superintendent’s tenure.)

Perhaps most importantly, though, Superintendent Clark wants to leave a lasting mark on the culture of our school district.

“Hopefully, I’m leaving a legacy of continuous improvement,” says Clark.

There are big challenges ahead for our next superintendent, whomever that might be — like getting a much-needed bond package passed and sorting out the later phases of student assignment. So, a culture of “continuous improvement” would be very good, indeed.