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Handling the Tough Decisions: Preserving Student Achievement during Budget Cuts
Dr. Eugene G.White, Superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) in Indiana discusses difficult choices in district leadership with host Mr. Arthur Griffin. An accomplished author and recipient of 2009 Indiana Superintendent of the Year award (also in 2002). Having experience through the ranks from school principal through medium to large urban districts, he has much to share on leadership and coping with the difficult decisions faced in these roles.
Dr. White has authored two books for school leaders including Leadership Beyond Excuses: The Courage to Hold the Rope.
Specific topics included in this interview with Dr. White:
- Most difficult decisions faced across 30 years of school and district leadership
- Coping with large budget cuts while maintaining educational excellence
- Describing priorities, equity, and negotiation during process of budget cuts
- Effective strategies to promote student achievement
- Role of early childhood education
- Challenges facing district leaders today
District Leaders Podcast is always Leading Today for Success Tomorrow!
Biographical Background
Dr. Eugene G. White was born in Phenix City, AL, to a single 17-year-old mother in December 1947. He was the first person in his family’s history to graduate from high school. He grew up in a time of segregation and Jim Crow practices in Southeast Alabama. In high school, he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball. His mother, grandmother and athletic coaches heavily influenced him. He was a starting member of the 1966 Alabama State Championship Basketball Team and accepted a basketball scholarship to Alabama A&M University. He graduated with academic honors and set career scoring marks at Alabama A&M University.He was a teacher, coach and school administrator in the Fort Wayne Community Schools for 19 years. He was the first African American high school principal in the Fort Wayne Community Schools, where he served as principal of Wayne High School from 1985 to 1990. In 1990 he became the first African American high school principal of North Central High School in Indianapolis, serving until 1992. He was Deputy Superintendent of the Indianapolis Public Schools from July 1992 to January 1994. He served as Superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township for 11 years. In 2005, Dr. White was named Superintendent of the state’s largest school district, IPS.
Dr. White has served in a large number of leadership capacities over the years, most recently as President of the American Association for School Administrators in 2006-07.
Dr. White has received a wide variety of honors over his career, including:
- 2002 and 2009 Indiana Superintendent of the Year
- 2007 National Association of Black School Educators (NABSE) Superintendent of the Year
- 2006 Modern Red Schoolhouse Distinguished Service Award
- 2001 Alabama A&M University Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee
- 1997 Indiana Music Educators Association Outstanding Superintendent of the Year
- 1995 Center for Leadership Development Education Award
- 1992 named by Redbook magazine as a “visionary leader” as principal of one of America’s Best Schools
Dr. White is the author of the book, “Leadership Beyond Excuses: The Courage to Hold the Rope.” He co-wrote a second book, “Leading Schools of Diversity.”
He received an Ed.D. in Education Administration and Supervision from Ball State University in 1982, an Ed.S. in Superintendency from Ball State University in 1977, an M.S. in School Health from the University of Tennessee in 1971, and a B.S. in Social Studies, Health and Physical Education from Alabama A & M University in 1970. He is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
Dr. White is married to Jetties White and has two children: Reginald E. White, Dean of Students and Head Girls Basketball Coach, Arsenal Tech High School in IPS, and Kimberly R. White, a teacher and coach at John Marshall Community High School in IPS.
Related Web Links:
- Indianapolis Public School District web site
- Indianapolis Public School District superintendent’s page
- Dr. Eugene G. White’s blog
District Leader’s Podcast is produced and copyrighted by The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2007. All rights reserved.
For more information email us at podcast@districtleaderspodcast.org or phone us at 1-866-435-5337 (toll free) and leave a voice message for our co-hosts.
