Future superintendent discusses goals, challenges in new role

After six years serving as the assistant superintendent of administration for Shelby County Schools, Lewis Brooks is ready to take on more in the role of superintendent.

Brooks announced his candidacy in January after Superintendent Randy Fuller declared his intent to retire following his third term as superintendent. Brooks was elected in the June 5 Republican primary with 50.7 percent of the vote and does not face a Democratic opponent in November. 

“There’s no doubt that I’m very thankful to the citizens of Shelby County who made the decision that I was the best candidate to serve as the superintendent of this great school district,” Brooks said, adding that he takes the new role seriously and looks forward to continuing Shelby County Schools’ reputation as one of the best systems in the state. 

Brooks brings with him 28 years of experience in public education, including time as a teacher, coach, administrator and middle school coordinator. He will take over as superintendent in January 2018, following Fuller’s retirement, and plans to spend the next several months working with Fuller to initiate a smooth transition. Brooks will also meet with what he calls “success advisory teams,” or groups of community stakeholders.

“I’ll spend a lot of time talking to parents and talking to students and teachers about their expectations for our school district,” Brooks said.

These teams will look at SUCCESS, Brooks said, meaning “Supporting, Uniting, Collaborating, Communicating, Engaging our Stakeholders and Students.”

“I’m excited really just to get out there and to be talking to the people. These are the people who have elected you to serve in this role, so I’m excited about hearing from the various stakeholders as I prepare for the transition into this role,” Brooks said.

One of Brooks’ priorities is to continue conversations and collaboration with business partners in the community, both to prepare students for the workforce and to see how Shelby County Schools can improve moving forward. He plans to continue talking with 58 Inc., an economic development initiative for the county, as well as the chambers of commerce. 

Leader in Me is a program that promotes 21st century learning and life skills for elementary school students that parents and business leaders said were vital. The Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce also works with the school system to teach life skills through programs such as Keeping it Real and job fairs.

“Not only do we want to prepare our elementary school kids, but we want to prep our high school kids for career opportunities, so finding more ways for our kids to go through an interview process, job shadowing [is important],” Brooks said.

A new initiative, however, is also on Brooks’ mind: the League of Innovative Schools, which is a national network from Digital Promise that works to use learning technologies effectively in order to improve outcomes for students, according to its website. He hopes to join the league in the next three to five years.

“It puts together thought leaders from businesses, from schools, from higher education and these entities look at what are the latest technological tools, and not just the tools but how these are embedded in practice,” Brooks said. “I’m really interested in Shelby County being a part of it because I think it will really propel us from an instructional practice.”

Talladega County, Piedmont City and Huntsville City schools are all part of the league, Brooks said, and he believes participation would “really prepare our kids for those 21st century opportunities that are out there.”

Because Shelby County contains some of the state’s fastest growing communities, including the city of Chelsea, Brooks acknowledges that there will be challenges.

“One of the challenges that we continue to face is growth. As you know, we have some of the fastest growing communities in the state, so growth will be an issue and analyzing how we prepare ourselves for growth,” he said.

School safety is another challenge facing not only Shelby County but also the nation, he said. Brooks wrote the system’s Safe Schools Initiative, which ensured a presence of school resource officers and law enforcement in all schools. He also worked with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Shelby County Commission, municipal leaders and local police departments to develop a comprehensive school safety plan.

“I think that will continue to be something that we focus on and we continue to improve,” Brooks said.

Over the next five months before he becomes superintendent, Brooks said he looks forward to working toward goals he set onthe campaign trail and finding out what isbest for all of the communities in Shelby County.

“I’m just really honored and thankful for the opportunity. I’m excited to serve our students and our community. It’s something that’s been important to me throughout my career, and I look forward to even doing more in the role as superintendent,” he said.