The Interview: Dr. Tiffany Anderson
Editor’s Note: Dr. Tiffany Anderson, a Kansas resident for many years, has been a public school educator for 24 years and the majority of that time has been as a superintendent. She has improved achievement and closed achievement gaps in rural, urban and in suburban public school districts. The Washington Post and NPR referenced Dr. Anderson as, “The superintendent who made schools work for poor children.” Dr. Anderson was the first female and first African American superintendent in Montgomery County Public Schools in Virginia, a district that served 23 schools in 4 different localities. When Dr. Anderson moved back to Missouri, she continued her work with eliminating achievement gaps in leading University Academy, a college prep academy that she led to being accredited with distinction. In July 2012, Dr. Anderson joined the Jennings School District as Superintendent. On July 1, 2016, Dr. Anderson became the first African American female leading the 14,000 Topeka Public Schools, in Topeka, Kansas where the landmark Brown vs. Board case ended legal segregation.
Dr. Anderson’s publications include her book, “Closing the Achievement Gap”, and her book, “Transforming Schools for Excellence”, along with several articles on high performing school cultures published in local and national magazines and newspapers. Dr. Anderson is a national presenter and among her various awards, in 2014, Dr. Anderson earned the national recognition from Education Week as one of the national 16 Leaders to Learn From. Dr. Anderson is originally from St. Louis, Missouri but she has been a resident of Kansas for many years and both of her children have graduated from Kansas high schools. She is a lifetime member of the NAACP and is nationally known for her innovative work serving schools in high poverty communities. This interview originally appeared in the January 2018 issue of the 1635 newsletter. Subscribe here.
My experience in school was…
…diverse and it shaped who I am today. I attended public and private schools. The experience inspired me to become a teacher and it caused me to explore ways to create a more equitable educational system for all students.
What inspired you to dedicate your life to public education?
I have known throughout my life that my purpose is to serve others through teaching. As a superintendent, I still consider myself a teacher and a student. I continue to learn every day about the needs of those we serve and I continue to teach others new ways to problem solve perceived barriers. My parents who are retired pastors and former public educators have always shared that the greatest impact you can have on anyone’s life is to teach them to question, think critically, and to use their voice to advocate for themselves and others. Later, my husband, who I met in college, shared the same message. He was an example of how a young poor child could move from Memphis to becoming an OBGYN and robotic surgeon. He credits that primarily to his high school teachers who gave him a running start. Public education is the best vehicle for this to happen for all students because free public education is available to everyone. It is the strongest way to truly transform and uplift communities. Understanding the impact of public education on public health, in general, caused me to dedicate my life to public education. My goal is to serve and uplift others and ultimately improve as many lives as possible by providing a quality education to those I have the privilege to serve.
As you’ve gone through your career from teacher to school chief, what has been the story of public education, in your opinion? What are the stories we need to be telling?
I consider myself a teacher although my official title is superintendent. I learned early in life that everything that works as a teacher, works as a superintendent, my classroom is just larger. The difference now is that we have 14,000 students depending on us. As a teacher, the profession is one that has been undervalued and as a result, fewer teachers have chosen public education as a field over the last two decades. The story of public education is one of possibility and promise if we invest in a system that can work.
Public schools across the nation have dispelled myths about students and they have shown that students can learn at high levels if they have community support and the right staff in place to advocate for students. Unfortunately, the story of underfunded schools has created opportunity gaps in many communities and in many school systems. The story of public education is a story still being told through our communities, our economy, and our workforce and we all have the ability to contribute to what the story will say about all of us. How we treat the most vulnerable says a lot about who we are and who we will be in the future. We need to be telling the stories about our youth and how we will support their success.
“Undercover High” is a unique social experiment. How did this idea come about and what were your considerations for allowing producers to make this show in your district?
The Highland Park Principal who is also the director of our Equity Council and a graduate of Topeka Public Schools was approached by the production company with this idea first. The production company shared their interest in Kansas was partially because of the history in Topeka, the fact it is a mid-western state that faces issues that many schools today may face across the nation and because of the diverse demographics of Highland Park. After the production company spoke with the principal and shared information with the students, parents, staff, and community, the board and district administration approved the project allowing the district and the nation to look deeply at challenges and opportunities in schools today for students. Our commitment to continuous improvement requires we deeply understand those we serve and it also requires we give students a voice. While we talk with students often and we meet with student groups regularly in schools, we also recognize that we gain a different perspective if we walk in the shoes of the students we are serving. The importance of looking further at our educational system and the systemic challenges and opportunities students face were some of the many considerations.
This project allowed the district to examine our system of support for students to succeed and it also allowed us to learn as reflective practitioners as we encourage courageous conversations about education nationally in a unique way that rarely occurs. There were many considerations. Some of the expectations we asked the producers to meet in order to consider the project are below:
- The Highland Park school community was informed about the full project and the school’s support was needed as volunteer student, parent and staff participants signed up to participate.
- Disruptions with instruction were not to occur. In 2017 after the project concluded, the 4 or 5-year graduation rates increased at every high school in Topeka.
- Cameras were not hidden and the production company would have regular open communication with school administration as they became a teaching and learning partner for staff and students.
- We required that all production company participants pass a vetting process with requirements they had to agree to prior to participating and after participating. This process occurred before they were allowed in the school. Embedded participants from the production company were required to be honest about their background as well as one of the expectations.
- The A&E web page and the statics shown throughout the show were requested as added teaching tools for viewers to engage people across the nation in online dialogue and to help give parents, students and educators resources.
While the show just launched this month on A&E and the reactions are fresh, what are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned from this experience?
We know we have amazing students and staff and we continue to see that each week. While we know some of the challenges facing our youth and educators, the impact of trauma in the community and the importance of our role as educators was reinforced. Students may not always share the challenges they face and the series reaffirmed that we must seek ways to understand and support our youth. We also learned even more about the impact of social media on students and the importance of expanded training for staff, students and parents were reinforced as we help students make positive choices. We were reminded of the impact of the opportunity gap and how much a student’s self-perception can contribute to their positive investment in their own future. Through the series, we were able to really look further from a systems perspective at ways we can encourage families and support the success of our students.
We were able to implement some immediate interventions last year for students and we piloted a New Teachers’ Academy to further train and support educators today who will be faced with maintaining high expectations while understanding the challenges many students are faced with in high school. Since the filming of the show, in addition to our New Teachers’ Academy, our Highland Park student ambassador program began for new students at Highland Park due to the mobility, a radio station was created by students to empower students with a stronger voice in the school halls and various systemic supports were implemented.
Bonus question: Did you ever imagine that you’d be a reality TV star? ;)
I wouldn’t call myself a TV star at all. I am an educator who has the privilege to serve with other dedicated educators. Through the series, we have formed many partnerships as we serve as teaching and learning partners for others nationally. It is truly amazing to see what students face today compared to what students experienced just five years ago. If we seek to understand others and commit to creating new opportunities, our collective positive impact can be powerful for future generations.
1635 is a newsletter and a monthly moment to propel us forward in public education. Each month it features long-form content from those working both inside public education and from those on the outside looking in. We can learn so much from both viewpoints. The newsletter delivers the last Tuesday of every month. Subscribe.
