“No field impacts a young person’s life like education does,” says newly named Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools, S. Dallas Dance, Ph.D., on why learning is so important to him.
Currently chief officer of over 200,000 students in Houston Public Middle Schools, Dance will officially take over as superintendent July 1, an amazing feat for a man only 30 years old.
“I’ve always been one that believed in service for young people. There were so many people who went out on a limb for me and the opportunity to give back to young people is really what my drive is,” Dance said.
He will succeed Joe Hairston, Ph.D., who has held the position for 12 years. Under Hairston’s leadership, schools in Baltimore County have seen significant growth.
“It is my hope that a foundation has been laid that will enable him to move the agenda forward,” said Hairston, who is retiring after 48 years in education with a legacy he says gives him “a lot to be proud of.”
More than 50 percent of Baltimore County Public High Schools now rank in the top seventh percentile of high schools in the nation, with the third highest graduation rate of African-American males in large urban school systems, Hairston said. The Virtual Learning Environment program at Chesapeake High School has been a shining example of the state’s technology investments in education and the Chinese Culture Exchange has allowed high school students to do eight week stints abroad for seven years now.
“Our children are responsive to the quality of instruction our teachers are providing. Leadership provided by the principles and support from our parents has been essential. We’ve had 12 consecutive years of performance growth and that is unprecedented in this country for a large, urban school system,” Hairston said.
Dance says top challenges currently facing the future of education today include increasing science, technology and math skills, and showing students how to apply what they are learning in real life, not just regurgitating information. Also at the forefront of his list of challenges, Dance said, is figuring out how to engage kids to the point where they take ownership for their learning.
“When we start thinking about the role we play as educators, we have to make sure that we engage them to the point they understand that here and now matters so much if you’re really going to impact what the future looks like.”
As an English major, Dance earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Union University shortly before moving on to Virginia Commonwealth University where he earned a master’s degree in educational administration and a Ph.D. in educational leadership.
With a love for all things dealing with the law, Dance says as a younger man he thought he would make his impact in the courtroom– not the classroom. However, after discovering his gift tutoring students while still in college, Dance said the decision to go into education was an easy one. Though he only has two years of classroom experience as an English teacher, Dance has knowledge of all levels within the educational system.
Over the years he has worked in the Henrico County Public Schools of Richmond, Va. as an administrative aide, an assistant principal and a principal. Prior to serving the Houston Independent School District, Dance was also executive director of School Improvement in Chesterfield County Public Schools in Virginia and assistant superintendent for Louisa County Public Schools in the same state.
Dance has also taught on the university level as an adjunct professor for Averett University, the University of Richmond, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Aside from getting to know the students, faculty, and staff he will be serving, Dance says the first thing he has to do is find a church home.
“I’m really driven by faith. I believe that your faith is one of those things you look to in moments of light and in moments of darkness,” Dance said. “I’m looking forward to getting there and getting to know as many people as possible and setting down roots in the community because I look to be there for a very, very long time.”
