Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Shelley Shaw, former executive director of the Hoover City Schools Foundation and newly appointed Hoover Board of Education member, at Aldridge Gardens.
Shelley Shaw has a long history of involvement with the Hoover school system, but now she’s ready to take on a new role.
Effective June 1, Shaw replaces Craig Kelley on the Hoover Board of Education.
Shaw, 51, is the former executive director for the Hoover City Schools Foundation, but she got her start in leadership roles in the system more than a decade ago.
She served as president of the Rocky Ridge Elementary School PTO in the 2013-14 school year and later as vice president of programs for the Berry Middle School PTO and president of the Hoover Parent Teacher Council, which is the umbrella organization for all PTO, PTA and PTSO groups in Hoover.
Additionally, Shaw served two years on the Hoover City Schools Foundation board of directors before being asked to serve as executive director for the group, which she did for four years, until this past December.
Shaw, who also is the wife of Mike Shaw (a former Hoover councilman and current state legislator), has lived in Hoover 23 years and has been involved in numerous other community groups. She is the current president of Destination Hoover International, secretary for the Hoover Belles board and on the Community Service Committee for the Hoover Service Club. Shaw also was in the inaugural class of Leadership Hoover and served on the school superintendent’s advisory council from 2016 to 2019.
280 Living recently asked Shaw about school system issues. Here are excerpts from that interview:
Q: Why did you decide to apply for the Hoover school board?
A: Community involvement is a core value to me and my family, and I think that I want to give back. This is a terrific way to do it in this stage of my life and in my volunteer time that I have. The last 20 years or so, I’ve been involved on some level with our schools, volunteering and then most recently [as] the executive director of the foundation, and so I felt like I had knowledge and time that I could give to something like this. I really just want to be able to set this district up for success for our students and for the community.
Q: What do you see are the biggest issues facing the school system?
A: Recruiting and retaining teachers and the best talent that we can find. … I believe this is not something new. It’s just always on the minds of the district. … I know that we have two very large high schools, and that’s a great thing. Everyone I talk to who isn’t familiar with Hoover City Schools, when they hear that we have 17 schools, their eyes get big. … It’s a big city — a growing city. I do feel like making sure there is always the best facilities and the best space for our students. RC3 [the Riverchase Career Connection Center] has been able to be a huge plus with regard to space issues, but … that would be something that needs to stay a part of the conversation.
Q: Do you think Hoover needs a third high school?
A: That is something that needs to remain a part of the discussion as this city continues to grow. … That discussion will take time.
Q: Do you have any thoughts in regard to building a third high school versus, say, rezoning to shift more students to the eastern side of town or something like that?
A: One good thing about Hoover is that we’ve done it all. We’ve built another high school, and we’ve also done rezoning. So those are two options I know our community can handle. Which one is better than the other, I don’t know because I’ve never been in that position to make that decision, so I would look to our community and reassure them that these are places we have been before, and we can manage through them again.
Q: One of the critical issues you mentioned in your application was staying strong in school safety. Do you want to elaborate a little bit on that?
A: I believe that we had an outstanding year in 2023 as a city, with our numbers [that] police released on crimes. We’ve done very well. I feel that school safety is one thing that parents think about daily. I was a parent that thought of it daily, and I want to assure parents that is one of the most important roles that our district leaders have is to reassure and provide what is needed for school safety. This has changed over time, but fortunately, we have had the resources and the support of the city and of the Hoover Police Department to meet the needs. I feel that is something we always need to make sure is a priority.
Q: You also mentioned that it’s important to continue making progress toward achieving unitary status in federal court and demonstrating fair treatment of all races of students. What do you think the district needs to do to achieve that?
A: Many people have not followed the unitary status case desegregation order, and I feel like I have followed it somewhat more closely because of the leadership roles that I’ve had as Hoover Parent Teacher Council president and then as executive director of the foundation. I feel that I know a lot, and I feel that I’ve read a lot, and I understand, but the path there — that is something I think I will learn more about as I take on this new role. I think as long as we are on a path toward unitary status, that benefits everyone.
Q: Some parents have expressed concerns about teachers and schools pushing certain ideologies on students as it relates to things like critical race theory or gender issues, etc. Where do you stand on that?
A: As a parent, I’ve always wanted the very best education for my students, and as a community member, I still want that. As a board member, curriculum and decisions that get made at that level, that will be new for me. I’ve not been in a role where I’ve been a part of making those decisions. So where I stand is to be educated on where we are and how we work through making those decisions. Those are very passionate concerns, and I want to be sure that I am learning as much as I can about how well we are educating our students. … I think our school system is going to do what is the very best thing for students and always has and will continue to do so.
Q: Do you believe the Hoover school system needs more funding than it currently is getting? There has been much discussion about raising property taxes by 2.4 mills to get up to that cap of 75 mills for Hoover residents in Jefferson County.
A: As a fundraiser with the Hoover City Schools Foundation, there was always a need that we saw to give back into the classrooms, and the way we were able to do that was — when people understood where the money was going to go, they would give; they would donate. I realize that this is completely on a different level, and if people understand there’s a need — and I believe there are needs — they may be more willing to hear about it in a potential referendum. … As soon as I am able to have an active role on the school board, I will understand better where we lack. …There’s always going to be growing needs in public schools and funding, and that is something that I would definitely want to look at, understand it better.
Q: The Legislature has given Hoover approval to have this referendum. The school board would need to request a date officially from the council. Do you think that needs to be held anytime soon, or do you think it needs to be held at all?
A: Once I’m into this role and being trained and learning more, if I saw that there is a gap and it would benefit our students — if there was a particular population of students that needed the funding … I know we have increasing needs for special education, and that’s a wide range of students. If there’s a void there or something lacking there, … as a board member, I would have to understand the steps. I understand some steps have been taken and the rest of these steps need to be completed before it goes to a vote of the people. And that’s always good to let the voters vote. I believe that we would get an answer, and whether it be yes or no, we would have our answer. … I’ve got to learn how quickly you could make it happen.
Q: Is there anything you would like to see emphasized more in Hoover schools?
A: I think that Hoover City Schools has a great story to tell, and I think that we need to tell our story more and get the good news out there about all the ways our students have achieved. Student achievement is something that we can truly brag on, and I feel like that through COVID, the amount of achievement that we saw in our students compared to other parts of the nation — it was amazing.
Q: What about in terms of anything in regard to curriculum — things that students need to be taught or know? Anything you would like to see emphasized more?
A: Being a civic volunteer — that’s always going to be something that I would hope that we could emphasize in the classroom. Volunteering and just understanding that part about being a community member, being able to truly understand how we have so much that we can do in our community, we can give back to our communities, and these things all do matter over time. I feel like civics is important. … I also want to see the opportunities for those students to really get involved in what they’re doing on their campus and in our community because all of that is very collective, and all of it does matter to generations and people down the road. I believe you can bring that into the curriculum in a variety of ways.
Q: If you could change one thing about Hoover City Schools, what would it be?
A: The one thing I’d like to see improved on, because we are so big and there are some needs, is having enough substitute teachers in our classrooms. I know that’s a challenge … when they have an absence and don’t have the subs in place. I don’t know the steps that need to be taken there, but that is something I would love to see handled and improved and changed.
Q: What would you like parents, students and residents of Hoover to know about you?
A: I want people to know that this is something I take seriously. Many of these roles I’ve had a chance to do within the school system, whether it’s the PTO role or fundraising role or this role, this has always been something that I have gladly put my energy into. … That’s what I know how to do is give 100% to things that are important, things that have a mission. And this is a huge mission to be a part of the Hoover City Schools district in a different role. This is something I want to be able to be positive and to add to it. I never want to take it away. I just want to be able to add to things and make things that much better. I want it for their kids as much as I want things for my children, and I want it for the city and for people to know that when they make a move to Hoover, that it’s a good move for them.
Q: Five years from now, when your term is over, what will you have wanted to accomplish in Hoover schools?
A: Telling our story, the student achievement story. I think one way to do that is through a physical annual report that is able to be distributed or given to those in the community or beyond our community. The other thing is that the time I spend in this role would be time that people can feel confident that I did my best … and that people would see a positive impact from my time spent on this school board.
