Editor’s note: Dana Smith resigned his position as superintendent of District 161 to take another job. However, we included a story about his departure in our annual education retirees feature in the June 1 print edition because of his long service to the district.
Dana Smith, the outgoing District 161 superintendent, remembers the kindergarteners when he first got here. Nine years later, he is leaving, and they are graduating.
Smith said his experience in District 161 has “been great,” and he hopes the eighth graders can say the same.
“I’m so fortunate, and so happy. I wouldn’t trade these nine years,” he said, acknowledging most superintendents don’t get to experience year-to-year operations for an extended tenure as he has.
Smith leaves Flossmoor for Community Consolidated District 15 where he takes over for a retiring superintendent. District 161 has five schools. At his new job, he will manage 20 schools and expects his new district will be impacted by the proposed Chicago Bears stadium project.
During his nine years in Flossmoor, Smith was able to create his own administrative team. He looked for talent within the district and plucked several from schools and asked them to take administrative positions.
When he hires, he makes certain the teacher or administrator can connect “to the purpose of our school community, and that’s serving kids at the highest possible level, maintaining our integrity, focusing on student learning, great customer service for our families and ultimately just doing what we need to do to help kids be successful.”
Smith said he is “most proud” of the district’s investments in the arts so that students at each of the schools can enjoy and participate in arts programs, and expanded extracurriculars that “help build the whole child.” He also oversaw the development of STEAM labs in each school.
He worked closely with parents and parent organizations to develop strong outreach between the schools and the community. Residents appreciated that he was regularly at school and community functions.
The district moved to standard-based instruction and has been showing improvements with its test scores. The district began implementing a full learning management system for online learning in 2019 that he says helped the district adjust to the changes the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown forced on schools.
And Smith appreciates that the school board agreed to implement the Capturing Kids Hearts program seven or eight years ago giving all school personnel training in students’ social/emotional needs and how to develop healthy relationships with each other and with adults.
Building renovations have been ongoing “without breaking the bank,” he said. “The board believes in good financial stewardship for the community.” He got the school board to develop Community Engagement, Equity and Inclusion, Finance and Learning and Instruction Committees to review and offer input before board votes.
Smith grew up in Park Forest and graduated from Marian Catholic High School. He knew he wanted to be a teacher. His mother was a teacher, and she indirectly influenced him, but it was a college job as a school lunchroom monitor that gave him the chance to connect with kids that sealed his decision.
He accepted the District 161 superintendent’s job because “this is a destination district. Flossmoor’s a special place. … I value the same thing this community values: really high rigorous expectations for kids understanding we are here for the whole child, that includes academics, extracurriculars, social/emotional development. We want to create positive, impactful future citizens.”
