School Board Selects Brian Davis Next Superintendent
Brian Davis learned the value of hard work and commitment as a youngster. Davis, who grew up on a farm in the rural town of Jerome, Michigan, will take over the reins as Holland Public School’s superintendent in July. Frank Garcia, who has led the district for four years, will retire on June 30. Davis came to Holland eight years ago as the Principal of Lakeview School. He then served as the Director for Teaching and Learning before becoming Assistant Superintendent, his current position.
Davis says the lessons he acquired as a young boy have shaped the leadership attributes he will take with him into his new post. “At a very early age I had a lot of responsibilities on the farm,” he explained. While his dad worked second shift in a factory, Davis (who was the oldest of three children) assumed a number of chores at home while juggling his schoolwork.
“I learned the importance of a strong work ethic and patiently waiting to see the fruits of your labor,” he said. “If you work hard and put your heart into it, the job gets done. If not today, then tomorrow. Farm life is all about balancing a variety of immediate, short-term, and long-term needs. If just one area gets out of whack, your farm could be put into jeopardy. I think most organizations would find this to be true as well.”
Davis' can-do spirit fuels his desire to keep HPS on a beneficial course as it heads into our ever-changing, globally competitive society. In evaluating some of the district's current needs, he stresses instructional quality and an uncompromising commitment to student achievement.
“Superintendent Garcia and the Board have consistently promoted 'doing what's best for our students,'” he said. "We'll build on this. We’ve got a wonderful team of educators across the district and we'll keep making improvements in curriculum, the resources we devote to classes and staff development – all ingredients to successful learning."
One of the areas Davis will accent is the utilization of assessments to determine what each student actually knows, not just what he or she is taught. “We’ve already begun a research model to explore this deeper level of thinking and learning,” he said. “What are students retaining? What are students saying and sharing? These are critical questions for us to ask.”
The community-developed Strategic Plan will remain the mirror which reflects the district's mission and vision. Davis has outlined four tangible cornerstones in the Strategic Plan, which can be positively impacted in the months ahead; rigor, relevance, relationships, and results.
Rigor lays out expectations in several areas, such as a 100 percent graduation rate, heightened attention to science and technology, increased cultural and international understanding and skills, and expanding early childhood education.
“We need to find ways to increase the number of students in accelerated classes and keep the level of expectation of the general education students high,” Davis noted. “It’s amazing what kids can do. It doesn’t matter what their backgrounds are, we must keep expectations high.”
Response-able classrooms are paramount according to Davis. "Classroom teachers have to continue to look at the needs of each student. We know so much more about how the brain works, and I'm eager to continue connecting our teachers' capabilities with the research. Professional staff development is important. Just having top-tier teachers is not enough. They also need to be given opportunities to learn. Information changes so quickly."
Some aspects Davis points out in his expectations about relevance include student - teacher exchanges, more effective facility usage, evaluating what’s best for all learners, and improved cultural competency.
“I’ve been having conversations about what it means to have cultural competency and international perspective,” he said. “A global perspective will be needed by our students because many careers involve going to other countries or teaming up with people in different cultures. Students with this knowledge will have a distinct advantage as they enter the workforce.”
Extending the value of solid relationships is also a top priority for Davis. In this domain, he targets increased staff development, expanded and more active public and private partnerships, and, of course, increased parental involvement.
“I want to see parents in our diverse community engaged in our school system,” he said. “A healthy school in the neighborhood goes a long way to support a healthy community. We all live, work, and play here. The trust and sincere caring demonstrated in our relationships at every level greatly influences the overall vitality of our community."
Davis is already hard at work seeking ways to create external partnerships within the community, including new partnerships with the Van Andel Institute and Hope College in support of the district's science and technology curriculum.
“We’re looking at real-world partnerships that will give us access to state-of-the-art technology labs where students can engage in actual science. Our teachers work hard to provide this now and we can expand these hands-on opportunities," he said.
The results Davis expects to achieve from these strategies include exceeding state and national averages on standardized tests, improved staff morale, greater financial stability for the district, and increased parent and community involvement.
“As a school district, we have gone through really difficult times in the last eight years,” Davis admitted. “Despite everything, our student achievement is trending up across the board. This tells me that we’ve made significant gains – and there’s still room for us to grow.”
Superintendent Frank Garcia believes the board trustees made an excellent choice for the next superintendent. "Brian is conscientious, intelligent, and passionate about Holland," he observed. "We are in total agreement that it is the daily small miracles evidenced in young learners that provide the real joy in education. We'll work closely to transition our responsibilities as smoothly as possible. We both want to keep the great things taking place in our schools moving forward without missing a beat."
Davis appreciates Garcia's encouragement and realizes that progress will be made one step at a time. Giant leaps will be rare. “One of my fondest memories on the farm was when we spent six to eight days cutting wood,” he recalled with a smile. “When it was break time, we’d walk to a snow bank where my dad had placed bottles of Pepsi in the snow. It tasted like a million bucks. It’s those little things that make your hard work worth it and keep you going"
It's life lessons like these that Davis will carry into his responsibilities as superintendent. “I know it's always the little things that count," he said. "It's about teachers, parents, or school volunteers working together to help a student 'get it.' You can't describe the feeling when you see that certain something click inside a student - to see that light bulb of learning turn on. For example, when a student learns to break the code of reading, and then begin to take off and soar on his or her own, you know there were some special people involved in varying ways to make this happen. It's moments like these that best represent the great good that our schools do. This is what motivates me.”
