GSEHD alumnus Dr. Shawn Joseph (Ed.D., Educational Administration and Policy Studies), was named Tennessee Tribune's 2020 Person of the Year.
Dr. Joseph most recently served as Metro Nashville Public Schools Director, but he has just accepted a tenure track position at Howard University’s School of Education. In addition, he will co-direct the Howard/AASA Urban Superintendent Academy, which was created in direct response to less than five percent of superintendents in America being persons of color, according to a 2018 news release.
Per the Tribune's announcement, under Dr. Joseph’s leadership, Metro Nashville Public Schools saw reading achievement accelerated for all students, increased ACT scores, more students of all races in gifted and talented programs, more students earning advanced placement credits, more students earned industry certifications, and more money being directed to the district’s poorest schools resulting in a dramatic increase in state reward schools.
Dr. Joseph shared, “As the first African American superintendent in Seaford Delaware and Metro Nashville Public Schools, I intimately understand the difficulty of ensuring excellence in every classroom, in every school, every day in urban settings and settings that serve large populations of students of color. I also understand the complexities of leading while Black. Superintendents of color have unique challenges as we are often tapped to lead high needs districts where millions of underserved students of color need a high-quality education and where resources are scarce. It takes skill, courage, and an unconquerable spirit to improve outcomes under these conditions.” These lessons were described in his 2019 book Finding the Joseph Within: Lessons Learned Through a Life of Struggle.