Following a 38 year career in public education, Clinton School District Superintendent, Destry Brown has announced his resignation effective June 30, 2022.
“There is no greater joy for me than visiting our classrooms and schools and talking to our staff and students,” says Destry Brown. “I love this community and appreciate the support people have given to me and the school district. I know the district will be in great hands moving forward. We have an excellent Board of Education and leadership team and I know the next superintendent will enjoy great success and support as the leader of this school district.”
During his four years as Superintendent of the Clinton School District, Destry led with a student-first approach and together with the Board of Education, district leadership, teachers, and staff, the district achieved many successes, of which just a few are included below:
*Passage of a $4 million No-Tax Rate Increase Bond that provided safety upgrades and facility improvements for students and staff
*Deployment of 1-to-1 devices for all students in kindergarten-12th grade
*Improved teacher and staff salaries
*Joined the MRVC West Conference
*Added two additional school districts at Clinton Technical School
*Increased access to early childhood programming by adding Head Start programs at CECC
*Assisted in the launch of the rootEd program at Clinton High School providing post-secondary opportunities for students
"We are sad to see Destry go, but will forever be grateful for the time we had him lead us,” says Clinton School District Board of Education President, Parker Mills. “His wisdom and true compassion for the students and faculty of our district has, without a doubt, made a positive impact on our schools. We wish him the absolute best in whatever the next chapter of his life brings. The board will soon begin the process of identifying and hiring a successor, with plans to have this process completed soon after the first of the year." When asked about the timing Brown responded "I have been thinking about it for about 6 months and I gave myself a deadline of the December board meeting so they have the adequate time to find a replacement. With the stresses of the job being as they are, my health has suffered. I have been in education for 38 years and there comes a time that you know that it is time to retire"
Thinking of what the future, Brown said "right now, I have no plans. I do not expect that I will be looking for a superintendent's position in the near future. I might consider acting as an interim superintendent some day but I need some time to step away. I need to do something that gives me a purpose. I don't know what that will be right now but I do want to continue to make a difference."
Brown was asked to recall his fondest memory as a Clinton Cardinal, he remarked "I have loved being the superintendent in Clinton. The community support has been phenomenal. I love being out in the buildings talking to our kids and staff. We have such amazing staff and our kids are the best. My greatest challenge has been to find ways to help all kids be successful in school. We have improved every year and we get closer and closer. As I said, our staff is amazing that they go above and beyond to help kids be successful. But, we still have kids who choose not to be successful. I am also concerned about the Social and Emotional aspects of learning. We have so many students in need of mental health supports. However, the shortage of workers in the mental health field provides a challenge for the school district to find help and solutions for some of our students."
Destry Brown hopes to leave a legacy of doing whatever is needed for kids is what I leave behind. I don't take the answer, "It can't be done as the final answer." In most situations there are ways to get things done if we have the "want to." I am most proud of the change I have seen in the attitudes of our staff and students about our schools as well as the attitudes of our community toward our school district. We have stepped outside our comfort zone and developed partnerships with the private schools in order to benefit all kids in our community. I cannot say enough about the pride I have in our staff who work on the front lines every day to provide the love and support that each child needs to be successful in school. I don't really think of myself of the catalyst of any change that might have occurred. All of things I have mentioned have always been there. We just focused on telling our story and making sure the community and the staff knew why they love the Clinton Cardinals"
"I will serve in an advisory type of capacity in working with the board to find my replacement. Mostly, I will provide them with information and will help to answer their questions about the process for selecting the next superintendent. We have an excellent Board of Education and they will set the direction for the future of the district through their selection of the next superintendent. I have been privileged to work with these seven people as well as those past board members who served while I was here. I have not worked for a board that was more unified in the vision of doing what is best for kids. Even when they have disagreed, they can walk away as friends and colleagues knowing that they support each other and the kids of the district."
