This article is one of a series of articles produced by Word in Black through support provided by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Word In Black is a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media outlets across the country.
By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Ben Shuldiner, the newly appointed superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, is eager to begin his tenure after months of interviews, screenings, and determining whether the role was the right fit. A native of what he calls the “great state” of New York, Shuldiner brings with him a lifelong commitment to education, shaped by the educators in his own family.
“My entire family are kind of educators,” said Shuldiner. “When I went to college, I kind of knew I was going to be a teacher, but then I started to take classes and actually I did graduate work at the Graduate School of Education while I was an undergraduate, so I could get my teaching license, and so when I graduated, I was already certified, fully certified.”
His father taught math before transitioning into public housing. His mother taught English. His grandmother ran a nursery school in the Bronx. But for Shuldiner teaching was always in the cards.
A graduate of Harvard, Shuldiner said his decision to become a teacher surprised some at the university, where few students pursue careers in education.
“Let’s just say my advisor was like, ‘You want to teach?’ I said, ‘Yeah, that’s kind of how we roll. I want to be an educator. I love kids,’” said Shuldiner.
After spending a year teaching in England, he returned to New York and became principal of Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn. The school had a 23 percent graduation rate and was on the verge of being shut down.
“We came in, same building, same kids, and we started kind of fresh,” said Shuldiner. “And within four years, we had a 98 percent graduation rate. And it was awesome. And those kids were amazing.”
Shuldiner later taught at the collegiate level, served on the New York City School Board, and worked as a consultant for ASCD, a global education organization. He led superintendent leadership programs, but at the time, had never served in that role himself.
“As president of ASCD, which is one of the largest education professional organizations in America, I was able to do really fun consulting jobs around the world. I worked in India. I worked in Norway. I got to learn a lot about education from around the world,” said Shuldiner. “While I was a professor, I always wanted to be a superintendent. Here I was running a program to train superintendents, to support superintendents—and I’d never been one.”
That opportunity came in Lansing, Michigan. The city’s school district had 10,000 students, 80 percent students of color, over 50 languages spoken, and high percentages of students in special education and multilingual programs.
“It felt as close to Brooklyn as I think I could get,” said Shuldiner. “I was superintendent there for five years.”
Interestingly, Shuldiner’s name reflects his life’s work.
“The word ‘Shul’ means school and ‘diner’ means servant or worker,” said Shuldiner. “So amazingly enough, my name is, you know, school servant.”
In his fifth year in Lansing, a headhunter contacted him with an opportunity in Seattle.
“My cousin lives in Bellevue, and I have a bunch of friends in the city,” said Shuldiner. “So when I told my wife about Seattle, she was like, ‘Great, I love it. I can’t wait.’ The fact that the board picked me, I can’t tell you how proud I am and how happy I am. I really can’t wait to get the work started.”
With the position secured, Shuldiner has laid out his priorities: boosting academic achievement, strengthening Seattle Public Schools’ reputation, and reconnecting with the community.
“I want Seattle to be the single greatest urban education district in America. Hands down. I mean, and that’s the goal, and it should be the goal,” said Shuldiner. “I think initially the first things we have to really work on is building back trust. I see there’s a disconnect between the district and the people we’re supposed to be serving – the children and the families.”
He stressed that rebuilding those relationships must come before any significant progress can be made.
“I’m going to try to spend as much time in the community, talking to people, making those relationships,” said Shuldiner. “Because I can’t do it alone. And the staff can’t do it alone.”
He also acknowledged that the district’s budget challenges will require attention and transparency.
“But then we also need to help support and fix the budget. I’m sure everybody knows that the budget’s an issue,” said Shuldiner. “But also about having clarity about what our goals and our vision are in terms of academic success, and how we can support our teachers and our families and our kids in really moving towards that.”
Shuldiner added that Seattle’s students face serious challenges, from safety concerns to mental wellness, and those issues must be addressed as foundational priorities.
“I mean, that is our role, right? Before we even have conversations about what happens in the classroom, people have to be safe in the classroom,” said Shuldiner. “We must make sure that our staff, our students and our families feel as safe as possible.”
He pointed out that Lansing dealt with gun violence too, and his goal was always to make schools the safest places in the community.
A self-proclaimed “true New Yorker,” Shuldiner brings an outsider’s perspective and a history of transformative leadership. The community will now have the opportunity to get to know him and, according to Shuldiner, hold him accountable for the bold goals he’s set.
“I’m honored. I’m so thrilled to be here. I hope that all communities invite me in. I’m going to be here for you,” said Shuldiner. “So if you want me to come to an event, have me come to an event. You want to invite me to something, please do.”
Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Shuldiner closed with a reflection on purpose.
“He spoke about the fierce urgency of now,” said Shuldiner. “There is a fierce urgency of now of helping our children move upward, and I am so honored that I get to be the superintendent, working alongside the community to help our children. And so, I’m really honored.”
