Transforming leadership in the Transformation Zone

“I recently visited Melrose, Campbell Park, Maximo and Fairmont Park Elementary Schools, and with one exception, I really enjoyed the visits and the enthusiasm of the new leaders,” said Dr. Goliath Davis.

BY GOLIATH J. DAVIS, III, PH.D. | Contributor

PINELLAS COUNTY — The Pinellas County Schools’ Transformation Zone is partly the result of the Tampa Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning “Failure Factories” series and the horrific educational failures at Melrose Elementary and other south St. Pete elementary schools.

At the close of the 2023-24 school year, several leadership changes were made at the school and district administration levels that impacted the Transformation Zone. These include the minority achievement officer, the new Transformation Zone chief and the new director of teaching and learning. Additionally, the instructional leaders at Melrose, Campbell Park, Maximo and Fairmount Park Elementary Schools were replaced.

Kathleen Young-Parker

Kathleen Young-Parker was promoted to replace retiring Minority Achievement Officer Lewis Brinson, and her Assistant Principal, Kim Noorbakhsh, replaced her. Transformation Zone Chief Donnika Jones replaced the retired Dan Evans as director of teaching and learning and Fairmont Park Principal Lakisha Lawson replaced her.

Andrew Akapnitis, Fairmont Park’s former assistant principal, replaces Lawson. Dr. Carmen Harris, the former principal of Pinellas Park Elementary, is now the principal at Melrose Elementary. Lisa Austin was moved from Maximo Elementary to adult education, and Dr. Ray Dudley was appointed to replace her.

Melrose Elementary, previously led by Jones, has a history of improving its school grades under Jones’ administration, only to experience educational decline when she moved on. Others and I are curious about this phenomenon. I hope this trend doesn’t repeat itself now that Dr. Harris is the principal and Lawson is the new chief of Transformation.

I recently visited Melrose, Campbell Park, Maximo and Fairmont Park Elementary Schools, and with one exception, I really enjoyed the visits and the enthusiasm of the new leaders. As usual, I show up unannounced and evaluate how the leaders deal with the unexpected. All but one principal and their staff knew who I was even though I had not previously met them. Those who knew me made it clear. They read and keep their ears to the ground.

Dr. Carmen Harris

My first visit was with Dr. Harris at Melrose. She was self-assured, confident, personable and a clear leader. Her subject matter expertise passes muster, and her articulated approach and philosophy are conducive to success. She and I shared many common experiences. For example, she lived for five or more years in Guilford County (Greensboro, North Carolina), where my youngest daughter went to college as an undergrad and her son recently graduated as valedictorian of his class, earning a full ride to UNC Chapel Hill.

Dr. Harris has experience in Broward County, home of some of my undergrad college classmates, and received her doctorate at Florida State University—so did I. Her husband is affiliated with my undergraduate school, Rollins College. I am excited by her team-building efforts and branding strategies for developing parental support and community partners. One of the first things she gave me was her marketing letter.

Superintendent Kevin Hendrick never missed an opportunity to commend former Principal Young-Parker and her staff on Campbell Park’s accomplishments. As the assistant principal, Noorbakhsh was an integral part of the work.

Principal Noorbakhsh and her front desk staff gleefully greeted me when I arrived. She opened the front door and ushered me into her office. Noorbakhsh is excited about continuing the legacy of improvement and ensuring her scholars are proficient. She indicated she cannot wait to get the scholars back in school and is looking forward to getting parents back as well.

Kim Noorbakhsh

Noorbakhsh indicated a decline during the pandemic, and they are committed to increased parental involvement. She is highly complementary of her entire team and credits former Principals Young-Parker and Cynthia Kidd for her development and success.

Like at Campbell Park, new Fairmount Park Principal Akapnitis, met me at the door and granted me entrance. He and I also share common experiences. Upon entering his office, I noticed a fire helmet on his conference table and asked the obvious question.

I learned he was in the restaurant business with his family in New York and subsequently joined the fire service. I proudly informed him that my first job was as a public safety agent for the City of St. Petersburg, which required me to obtain fire and police certifications. Interestingly enough, I fought fires with the current interim fire chief’s father.

Andrew Akapnitis

Principal Akapnitis asked me several questions, indicating he knew me. I immediately asked, “You know me?” he replied, “When I first got here, I noticed your papers everywhere. I asked myself who this guy was and proceeded to do my research.”  He further stated, “I learned you are concerned about kids, and I like that.”  As we continued to speak, he indicated that when his father passed, he left New York, moved to Memphis, and pursued his other passion: education. Ironically, he worked in the same district as our previous Transformation Chief, Nikita Reed. His wife is a school social worker, and his mother is a teacher in St Augustine.

I found Akapnitis pleasant, self-assured, confident, committed to scholarly achievement and eager to get started in his new role. He was complimentary of his staff, genuinely pleased I stopped in to visit, and welcomed me back. I really enjoyed my visit.

Regrettably, my Maximo experience was disappointing. Like with the other schools, I arrived unannounced to assess, in part, how the leaders react to unexpected situations. Unlike the other schools mentioned above visits, it was apparent neither the school secretary nor the principal knew me.

The secretary, Ms. Jones, was very polite. She asked for my name and indicated Dr. Dudley was with someone. I indicated I would wait and asked if either of the two ladies waiting in the lobby were there to see the principal. She indicated they were not and asked me to have a seat. As soon as I did so, the gentlemen with Dudley left, Jones went in and announced my presence and returned stating Dudley would see me shortly.

Dr. Ray Dudley

I waited 30 minutes or more, and Dr. Dudley came out and told me he would have to get with me later as he was too busy to see me today. I asked when he would be available, and he responded, “Leave your contact information.” In the interim, a staff member entered his office and remained for a considerable period. As of this writing, I have not received a call from Maximo or Dudley. The jury is out on him.

Earlier in the week, I met with Young-Parker, the new minority achievement officer. Mr. Brinson’s experience and knowledge will be difficult to duplicate, but I believe she will bring her own unique skills and abilities to the position in a constructive, productive way. I was impressed by her candor and knowledge of elementary education, and she will add significant insight and advice to the district that will contribute to closing the achievement gap.

Having attended a recent school board workshop where the budget was on the agenda, the salient question remains: To what extent are the school board and the district administration committed to supporting Black scholars and closing the achievement gap?

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and Black history are essential to a full-quality education. As the enrollment continues to fall, will the district continue to utilize a formula that treats affluent and struggling schools equally? I still maintain that hospital emergency rooms make notable distinctions between gunshot wounds and ingrown toenails. Gunshot wounds take precedence. I submit our Transformation Zone and South County middle and high schools are analogous to gunshot wounds.

Our newly appointed principals, previously appointed principals and the newly appointed minority achievement officer will not be successful absent district support, full accountability at all levels and the institutionalization of the Bridging the Gap Plan.

My organization, Concerned Organizations for the Quality Education of Black Students (COQEBS), must resume efforts to hold the district and community accountable. Community members must be updated and informed regularly. Now that COVID-19 has subsided, we must return to face-to-face informative meetings. We owe it to our scholars.

Dr. Goliath Davis is a former St. Petersburg police chief and deputy mayor who advocates for education in Pinellas County, focusing on Black student achievement.