A Resilience to Funding Challenges
June 01, 2025
Having spent almost my entire career in Oklahoma, traditionally a state in the lowest quartile of per-pupil spending for education, I鈥檝e developed a resilience to funding challenges. When I was hired to lead Guthrie Public Schools in 2012, it had failed nine consecutive bond issues, carried no debt and endured facilities that were in complete disrepair and/or obsolete.
Many residents of the community, part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex, didn鈥檛 realize the plight of the district鈥檚 six schools. In addition to the lack of bond funds to fuel large capital projects, the state was entering an economic downturn that produced mid-year reductions in state aid. This combination was affecting the morale of teachers, staff and parents. I immediately went to work to change the direction.
As part of my strategy, I convinced the board of education to convene a Long-Range Planning Committee tasked with guiding the formulation of districtwide facility priorities. Because this was previously the work of the board, board members initially were reluctant to give this task to others. I assured them we were creating allies in our quest for victory.
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This essay is part of a series called "Winning Ideas from Winning Superintendents." To view the other essays in the series, visit the June publication page.
As a central part of the applications for the National Superintendent of the Year program that 萝卜AV视频manages annually, every state-level nominee is required to complete a series of four essays. The prompts require each superintendent to draw on the totality of their experiences over time to capture in words their leadership for learning philosophy and accomplishments, public communication skills, community involvement and professionalism.
Each of the submitted essays, running 1,000 words or less, captures the sharp thinking and meritorious actions taken by those leaders or the school systems they oversee.
In the pages that follow, we鈥檝e dubbed them 鈥渨inning ideas鈥� from 18 of the 49 state-level honorees in 2025 (Hawaii does not have a state applicant) in the National Superintendent of the Year program.
鈥� Jay P. Goldman
Full Roster of State Honorees:鈥俆he limitations of space prevent us from featuring every educator recognized in the 2025 National Superintendent of the Year program. A complete roster of each state鈥檚 award winner, along with their biographies and photos, can be found on the .
PRACTICAL TIDBIT
24-Hour Hotline
We established a Safe School Helpline, a 24-hour hotline service that allows students, parents and community members the opportunity to anonymously report unsafe behaviors, threats or criminal activities. The helpline has proved effective in reporting issues such as vandalism, alcohol and drug abuse, weapons, fights, threats, bullying and more. The service also provides 24-hour access to a trained mental health counselor to provide support for suicide intervention, family crisis support or other mental health issues.
Throughout these essays, we鈥檝e included 鈥淧ractical Tidbits.鈥� These are brief excerpts from the applications of several 2025 National Superintendent of the Year candidates sharing their ideas about various school district operations and challenges. The excerpts have been edited for brevity and clarity.
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