By Candice Richardson
The Seattle Medium
From 2007 to 2011 the late Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson served as Seattle Public School’s (SPS) first African American female superintendent. At the start of her tenure Goodloe-Johnson came in with a first 100 days plan that would evolve into a five-year plan which included the closing of some schools and the opening of others, restructuring the way the district was funded, and emphasizing student improvement as a key element in teacher evaluations.
Unlike John Stanford – one of her Goodloe-Johnsons’s predecessors who was not only the first African American superintendent for SPS, but also one of its most beloved – Goodloe-Johnson’s departure from the district was marred in controversy when she was fired as a result of a financial scandal involving the district’s small business contracting program. What many may not be aware of is there’s another aspect to Goodloe-Johnson’s legacy and it has manifested in five African American women receiving their Doctor of Education degrees from the University of Washington’s Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program earlier this year.
Dr. Sarah Pritchett, Dr. Keisha D. Scarlett, and Dr. Mia Williams, along with Dr. Kristina Bellamy and Dr. Sandra Powell, made history by applying to and graduating from UW’s prestigious program simultaneously.
While Drs. Bellamy and Powell have relocated to other districts in Alaska and New York respectively, Drs. Pritchett, Scarlett, and Williams continue to work in Seattle Public Schools.
“We can’t have this conversation without talking about Dr. Goodloe-Johnson,” said Dr. Scarlett former principal of South Shore and is now the Executive Director of Organizational Development and Equity at SPS. “Her support for us came in different ways. All of us have moved into leadership. It honors her legacy.”
“Being a Black woman our resumes have to speak for themselves,” said Dr. Williams, who’s entering her 11th year as the Principal of Aki Kurose Middle School and keeps a photo of Dr. Goodloe-Johnson on her desk. “We invested in our education for ourselves. No one can take that away from us.”
Dr. Pritchett started her educational career in Seattle Public Schools in the 1990’s before serving as Assistant Principal for Rose Hill Jr. High in the Lake Washington School district for seven years and Principal of McClure Middle School for six years. She’s now the Executive Director of Secondary Schools for Seattle supporting principals’ instructional leadership for middle and high schools.
Between these three women alone there’s over 40 years experience in the educational sector, with all of them achieving high leadership positions between the late 1990s and 2000’s and none of them willing to rest on their laurels.
“With any African American there’s a ceiling you get to,” said Pritchett. “Part of it is ensuring there’s no limitation for districts to decide why they can’t hire you.”
Especially as it pertains to acquiring a position as superintendent one day.
“Your credibility is always on the line,” added Scarlett. “There’s always the question do you know what you’re talking about, even with having that ‘doctor’ in front of your name.”
The extra mile markers that both historically and presently appear to African Americans looking to achieve, and which can often double when the achiever is an African American woman, has not skipped the education industry. Receiving a doctorate in their work adds another tool in their “swiss-army knife” collection for these women – as does their support of each other.
Fighting both sexism and institutional racism they are each other’s secret weapon.
“As a female there’s always the question how you got to where you’re at,” said Pritchett who was once called “the eye candy” by a male colleague at a meeting.
Decisions about hair styles and clothing choices often alternate with the responsibility to work for racial equity and provide opportunities to others in the community.
During their studies the women, who’ve known each other around two decades now, fellowshipped together creating monthly breakfast meetings they dubbed “Wits & Grits,” dropbox files to help critique each other’s work, and a text message group to exchange pertinent information, encouraging words, and even the occasional joke to provide some levity after a trying day.
“What Black women do for each other [when] they’re connected,” Scarlett paused. “When I see myself through Mia’s eyes or Sarah’s eyes I feel unstoppable.”
“We’re going to always support each other but we’re also going to critique each other. Sarah supervises almost all the Black leaders [in the district]. She’s in a hard place,” stated Williams who added that Pritchett has to balance between providing opportunity and “not letting anyone get away with too much. Yet she’s opened up doors for others.”
Both Scarlett and Williams have received the Washington Middle School Principal of the Year Award and when Williams would demur when approached about the role she’s had in Aki Kurose showing the highest growth rates in reading and math in the district on a consistent basis, one can see the support network of these women in action.
“Mia is the ultimate deflector,” stated Scarlett when Williams began to give credit to her staff as a whole for the turnaround the school has experienced in recent years.
“She set the tone for the building, hired the right people, and raised the expectations for the kids,” added Pritchett.
“She consistently reinvents and innovates her principalship,” added Scarlett.
“My teachers would say I’m empowering them to do great things,” said Williams with a smile.
Scarlett, who started a formal network called Leaders of Color which is funded by the Association of Principals and meets quarterly, reinforces the necessity of showing each other and anyone else looking to achieve the appropriate support.
“We purposefully learn together and help each other to stay on track in the midst of personal issues.”
This includes challenging each other as well – something that Williams speaks of when considering Pritchett’s position overseeing multiple school administrations.
“She gets in the trenches,” said Williams of Pritchett. “What I appreciate is Sarah will immerse herself in learning but she’ll ask you the tough questions.”
“I count myself as being successful based on how successful the principals and leaders I oversee are,” Pritchett stated mentioning that it’s not just the students but also the adults who are often in a position to fight the systemic blocks to achievement.
“No one’s going to give it to you,” said Scarlett. “No one’s grooming you for it. We have to reach out and grab it.”
