Last week, the Kent School District Board of Directors named Dr. Calvin Watts as its next superintendent. Dr. Watts was selected for his proven leadership record, strategic vision, passion for educating students, communication skills, human resource experience, years of working with a diverse population, team- and consensus-building expertise, and work ethic, among other strengths.
“We are pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Watts,” Kent School Board President Debbie Straus said. “We were very fortunate to have an outstanding group apply for the position from around the country and our two finalists possessed many fine qualities. It was a very difficult decision, but we feel Dr. Watt’s background and vision are the best match for our district at this particular point in time and look forward to many years of continued progress with his leadership.”
Dr. Watts currently serves as assistant superintendent in Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) in Suwanee, Georgia. GCPS has With an enrollment of 174,500 student and a budget of $1.7 billion, GCPS is the largest school system in Georgia, and the 13th largest school district in the United States.
According to the Board of Directors, Dr. Watts is adept at K-12 district level leadership, turnaround and strategic planning, school improvement, and civic engagement. His results-oriented leadership practices emphasize high standards for curriculum, assessment, instruction, and fiscal and human resources management, which contributed to GCPS receiving the 2010 and 2014 Broad Prize for Urban Education.
During his tenure at GCPS, he has served as a leader in curriculum and instruction, and has overseen innovative programs, including special education and psychological services, and dual language immersion. Dr. Watts facilitates continuous improvement in the areas of instruction, operations, and civic engagement, which has resulted in system level advancement and increased student achievement. He has also engaged in managing sizable divisional budgets to meet established organizational needs.
In addition to serving in Gwinnett County Public Schools, Dr. Watts has served in Seattle Public Schools, and both Atlanta Public Schools and Carrollton City Schools in Georgia, and The Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Dr. Watts holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Howard University, and received his teaching certification at Western Washington University. His master’s degree in educational administration and supervision is from University of West Georgia, and he earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Argosy University in Atlanta.
The search for a new superintendent began in October, following the departure of Dr. Edward Lee Vargas who left to serve as executive vice president of AVID, a national non-profit college readiness program. Dr. Tony Apostle, former superintendent of the Puyallup School District, was appointed by the Board to serve as interim superintendent for the remainder of the 2014-2015 school year.
Dr. Watts starting date for the 2015-16 school year is still in negotiations.
