Photo by Erin Nelson.
Ron Dodson holds a meeting with Whitney Cook, the curriculum coordinator for Hoover City Schools, and Kelli Lane, the technology integration coordinator, and Bryan Phillips, the chief technology officer, over Google Meet as the team discusses school administration training at the Hoover City Schools Central Office. Dodson is retiring after working in the Hoover school system for 33 years.
After 33 years in education, longtime Hoover City Schools administrator Ron Dodson has decided to retire from the school system, and he means it this time.
The 57-year-old Dodson had decided to retire a couple of years ago as an assistant superintendent, but former Superintendent Kathy Murphy asked him to take the lead in opening the Riverchase Career Connection Center.
Dodson agreed and got the workforce training center up and running and even moved from there to the central office to become its first director.
But when Autumn Jeter vacated the director of curriculum and instruction position to become superintendent for Bessemer City Schools at the end of 2019, Murphy asked Dodson to return to the central office to help with curriculum, which was one of his specialties.
Dodson, once again, obliged and recently had his assistant superintendent title restored. His return to the central office “was so important as we got thrust into COVID,” Murphy said.
Dodson’s expertise in curriculum, virtual instruction and technology gave him an ability to think through the different ways to deliver instruction, whether online, in person or in a blended fashion, Murphy said.
“It didn’t matter what Ron was asked to do or what level of work he was asked to do; he always did it in stellar fashion,” Murphy said. “(He) committed his life and his career professionally to Hoover City Schools, and we’re all the better for it in Hoover that he did so.”
Murphy said Dodson also was always very supportive of her and never tried to seek the limelight for himself. He is a great statistician who loves data, charts and graphs, and that was very helpful, as the district had to put together critical data for the federal court and other groups as the district seeks to prove it is meeting the goals of desegregation, Murphy said.
Dodson plans to retire Sept. 1. He was going to do it July 1 when his wife, Lisa, retires from her job as attendance secretary at Hoover High, but the superintendent search is taking longer than expected, and he doesn’t want to leave interim Superintendent Tera Simmons in a lurch, he said.
Dodson got his start as a science teacher at Berry High School in 1988 — the very first year the Hoover school system started. He joined all the faculty in moving to Hoover High when it opened in 1994.
Former Superintendent Connie Williams said she remembers, when she was principal at Hoover High, how Dodson did a fantastic job as head of the science department and was instrumental in establishing the International Baccalaureate program there. He also became the first teacher from Hoover City Schools to win the Milken Award, which is considered to be like the “Oscar” award for teachers nationally.
Dodson then served as an assistant principal at Hoover High for two years before making the jump to become an assistant principal at Spain Park High when it opened in 2001.
He stayed at Spain Park for three years before being promoted to director of secondary curriculum at the central office in 2004. He held that position for six years until being promoted to assistant superintendent in 2010.
Williams said one of Dodson’s biggest strengths is data analysis. “He can take data and analyze it with the best of them,” she said. “He has a way of looking at information and presenting it so others can understand it, which is a huge strength.”
Dodson said one of the most fulfilling parts of his career has been seeing what Hoover City Schools has done with technology over the years. The district had so much experience with Chromebooks and virtual instruction that it was in a really good position when schools were shut down due to COVID-19, he said.
“Yes, teachers, students and parents had to get up to speed on some new programs, but it could have been a whole lot worse,” Dodson said.
Hoover’s first superintendent, Bob Mitchell, instilled an environment where people learn how to learn and have not been afraid to fail or try new things, Dodson said.
Getting the Riverchase Career Connection started also was very fulfilling, Dodson said. COVID-19 has caused some delays in that school reaching its full potential, but it will begin to hit its stride as the impact of the pandemic wanes, he said.
“I think that’s going to be a huge resource for the next 10 to 20 years for the school system and the community,” Dodson said.
One of the most challenging aspects of his career has been dealing with the way economic downturns impact education. It’s frustrating when you’re trying to build long-lasting successful programs and they get cut or reduced due to the cyclical nature of the economy, he said.
He said he’ll miss the people with whom he’s been able to work over the years, but he’s encouraged by the enthusiasm, energy and vigor he sees in those who will remain after he leaves and the way they work as a team for a purpose beyond themselves.
He won’t miss the phone calls from people upset with decisions because there are a lot of times he had to make decisions he knew would not make everyone happy.
Dodson is currently working on a plan to help students recover from academic losses suffered as a result of COVID-19. “It’s going to take more than a year to make up ground that’s been lost,” he said.
Dodson said he’s not sure what he will do in retirement. He may teach again in some capacity. “I was a pretty good chemistry teacher in my day and still have a passion for that,” he said.
He also plans to take care of his mother and take a return trip to Scotland with his wife when it’s safe to do so, he said.
“I never thought I would have stayed in one place so long,” he said. “But it’s been neat. It’s been good.”
