New Decatur Superintendent Introduces Himself to Community
Decatur Metro | November 10, 2015 | 2:38 pm
Decatur Superintendent David Dude wrote this letter to the Decatur school community in the latest CSD eNews email blast…
Dear City Schools of Decatur families, staff, and supporters,
It is with sincere pleasure that I write today to introduce myself to the community. I am honored and humbled to have been chosen to lead one of the greatest school districts in the nation. As a lifelong educator, I am committed to the pursuit of excellence and I eagerly anticipate working with CSD faculty and staff in continuing their ongoing pursuit of the same.
During her tenure in the district, Dr. Phyllis Edwards did tremendous work. With enrollment now projected to exceed 6,000 students by 2020, we are facing unprecedented growth. Furthermore, no doubt influencing the district’s growth and success, most of the current five-year strategic plan has already been accomplished. Recent ACT and SAT scores show CSD students scoring at the top of the state and the nation.
With a change in leadership comes opportunity, an opportunity to reflect on the past, its challenges and its successes. It’s an opportunity to examine our current potential and an opportunity to look to the future with a vision of all the district can be.
Throughout my career in education, excellence has been achieved through a continuous focus on students, empowering all those around them with smart systems, transparent leadership, and innovative solutions to challenging problems, designed and implemented collaboratively. As I look to the future, I envision City Schools of Decatur continuing to excel, while boldly addressing the complex challenges resulting from success and growth. We will celebrate and build on the many skills and talents of our passionate students, faculty, and staff while nurturing the district’s personalized approach to teaching and learning without compromising Decatur’s distinctive spirit and identity.
I thrive in environments with high expectations by people who value success achieved through a combination of collaboration, innovation, and persistence. In Decatur, my wife and I have found a caring community committed to the same ideals. We, along with our three children (ages 4, 6, & 9), are excited to join the Decatur schools and community.
Sincerely,
David Dude
glad to see he, literally, has some skin in the game with his young children.
big shoes to fill, and a complex roadmap ahead. wishing him, and all of us, good luck.
and, i’ll eventually tire of it
but until then
dooooooood
Hate to come away with something negative, but why do we keep misusing the word “humbled”?!! It’s not humbling to get a great job! That is all. Best of luck to The Dude!
Looks like they really did choose the best dude for the job.
So juvenile yet soooo funny. Yes, I am now at my 10 year olds’ humor level. Ha ha ha ha ha ha …
If your inner 10 year old thinks “dude” is funny, wait til you learn it is pronounced doo-dee. I bet that was a tough name growing up!
Oh dear. Humor level now dropped even further. What does this make me laugh so much? I’d be giving my kids a good talking to if they were making fun.
Literally makes me laugh out loud.
I think I just won buzzword bingo. Oh, dear. Four opportunities in two lines? When did Education cease to have anything to do with education?
That was rhetorical repetition for emphasis. AP Lit, speaking of education. But I do love the way that we no longer talk about problems and difficulties, only challenges and opportunities. When your boss comes in with an “opportunity”, it’s time to pull out the rhetoric about “work-life balance”.