Stirring the Pot in the 'Sleepy' South - Tom Upchurch, superintendent - Brief Article

School Administrator, Jan, 1994 by Thomas S. Upchurch

Tom Upchurch didn't begin his career as Carrollton, Ga., superintendent by blazing any trails. Most of his early steps were "very tentative," recalls one member of the school board that elevated him from high school principal to the top district post.

Upchurch himself admits today he was frustrated in his earlier years "about seeing so little change take place."

But after reviewing his recent past one would be hard pressed to believe that Upchurch has been anything but a perennial mover and shaker.

The 54-year-old native of Carroll County, Ga., has been at the forefront of some bold moves of late, namely:

* publicly supporting the elimination of elected district superintendents in the state while he served as president of the Georgia Association of School Superintendents;

* proposing a year-round school calendar for Carrollton in a state where only one other district has implemented year-round schooling;

* serving on the board of trustees of American United for Separation of Church and State, whose mandate puts it at odds with Georgia residents and politicians now trying to revive a statewide school voucher program.

A self-described activist for public education, Upchurch says he's taken these progressive stands simply because "they're the right thing to do."

He says superintendents ought not to be mired personally in politics at the same time they are responsible for pushing school reform in their communities. In a statewide referendum two years ago, nearly 70 percent of the voters agreed with that position, effectively ending the elective selection process for 107 of the state's 183 district leaders.

On the year-round issue, Upchurch hopes his school board this winter will adopt a modified calendar that would eliminate what he calls "the regression of a 13-week vacation" and replace it with a 6-week summer break and a series of 3-week respites in fall, winter, and spring.

"I hope someday we don't even have a beginning or an ending to the school year," he says.

Upchurch says his strong beliefs on separating church-state priorities has not been a public issue during his 12 1/2 years as superintendent. Yet his views have come to the fore in recent months while passionately opposing the resuscitation of a 33-year-old Georgia state law that provides voucher-like grants for any student who wants to enroll in a non-public school.

He says the legislation was "conceived with evil intent"--to maintain racial segregation in the state's public schools at the outset of the civil rights movement.

Upchurch's tireless leadership in promoting a legislative agenda has made him a role model for other school leaders in the state, says Bill Barr, executive director of the Georgia School Superintendents Association. Barr, a former superintendent, says his colleague "devotes considerable time to meeting with policy-makers, the governor, the lieutenant governor, [and] state education agency leaders."

He does this with the full sanctioning of his school board, says Helen Fay Lewis, a Carrollton board member for 14 years. "We feel like our lending him to influence people in [high-level] positions to help create change is something we can do," she adds.

For all his dedication to the wider cause, Upchurch seems more comfortable talking about his role in Carrollton, whose 3,400 students attend classes on a three-building campus. He has turned the district into a showcase for school reform in the '90s by bringing technology into every classroom to connect students with the outside world. Upchurch himself sometimes goes on-line at his desk to review the day's news as reported by TASS, the Russian news agency.

He also has distinguished his district's approach to serving at-risk pupils by bringing public agencies responsible for health, mental health, and youth services into Carrollton's elementary schools. They staff an in-school clinic that is available daily to students at all grade levels.

Because of these steps, the district has a waiting list of more than 125 youngsters from the surrounding suburbs, including some newborns for fall 1998, who've applied for kindergarten seats in the city school district.

Upchurch is quick to credit the district staff and the community but especially his benefactors--business leadership throughout the state and beyond who have contributed major financial support of the district's foray into learning technologies.

These external acknowledgements have left Upchurch feeling far removed from those early-career frustrations. He says he has become energized by public and corporate support and a climate for meaningful change.

"I'm more enthusiastic today about my job than ever in my 33 years in public education," he says.