Jack D. Dale
| Jack D. Dale | |
|---|---|
| Born | Seattle, Washington |
| Alma mater | University of Washington |
| Organization | Fairfax County Public Schools |
Dr. Jack D. Dale is the former Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools, the public school system for Fairfax County, Virginia and the twelfth largest school system in the United States. He held this position for 9 years spanning from 2004 until his retirement in 2013. He had previously served as the Superintendent of Frederick County, Maryland Public Schools since 1996, and was named Maryland's Superintendent of the Year in 2000. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and education; a Master's in educational administration; and a Doctorate in education from the University of Washington.[1]
Dale is co-editor and author of the book: Creating Successful School Systems and has conducted workshops on teacher compensation systems for No Child Left Behind initiatives. He has also published papers in The Executive Educator; International Journal of Education Reform; American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) Research Brief; and SIRS Management Information.[1]
During his time as Superintendent, Dale has been criticized by some parents and students for his handling of various issues brought to the attention of the school system, including criticism by the child advocacy groups FAIRGRADE and SLEEP for refusing to change, respectively, the county's grading scale and school start-time policies (especially the 7:20 a.m. high school start time). Despite some opposition, the Fairfax County Board of Education renewed his contract until June 2013 in September 2009.[2]
Controversy over disciplinary policies
Dale has been criticized for the disciplinary system in the Fairfax County school system, which has been blamed for the suicides of two students: Josh Anderson, of South Lakes High School, took his life in March 2009; and Nick Stuban, a student at W.T. Woodson High School, committed suicide on January 20, 2011.[3] On January 11, 2011, before the second suicide, Dale had defended himself in a letter to the Fairfax County School Board and the Board of Supervisors. In that letter, Dale refused to admit that the disciplinary system needed to be reformed, and blamed Supervisor Catherine M. Hudgins for "unconscionable" actions and "furthering a falsehood" by associating the student's suicide with the disciplinary process that had "crushed" his spirit.[4] In September of 2011 he announced that he will retire on June 30, 2013, when his contract ends.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "FCPS Superintendent's Office". Fairfax County Public Schools. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
- ↑ "Making the Grade: Fairfax schools Superintendent Jack D. Dale deserves to have his contract renewed". The Washington Post. September 10, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
- ↑ "Suicide turns attention to Fairfax discipline procedures". The Washington Post. February 20, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
- ↑ "School Superintendent Jack D. Dale defended Fairfax County's discipline policies". The Washington Post. February 11, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
- ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-superintendent-jack-d-dale-to-retire/2011/09/21/gIQAdCjwoK_story.html Washington Post, September 22, 2011, Fairfax Superintendent Jack D. Dale to retire