Literacy is the heart of learning in the education roadmap presented Tuesday by Gary’s new superintendent Yvonne Stokes.
For nearly 45 minutes, Stokes shared a detailed look into her goals and priorities during a reception Tuesday that drew Gary Community School Corp. staff members, residents, and parents.
On Monday, the state Distressed Unit Appeal Board, which has governed the district since 2017, will hold a 5 p.m. public hearing and a vote on the termination of Gary’s status as a distressed school district.
Gary’s appointed school board and Superintendent Stokes are expected to gain governing authority on July 1. The vote will bring an end to seven years of sometimes turbulent state control that reduced the workforce and shuttered schools, but also turned a hefty budget deficit into a surplus.
“It’s been bumpy, but we’re going to land the plane,” said Mike Raisor, the fourth emergency manager to run the district under MGT Consulting, the Florida-based firm hired by the state in 2017.
On Tuesday, though, Stokes offered insight into how the district will function under her leadership.
She arrives in Gary after her first superintendent’s position in the Hamilton Southeastern Schools ended abruptly last year after the election of a new conservative school board.
Before that role, she served as assistant superintendent from 2017 to 2021 in the School Town of Munster.
“I don’t believe just a few should be able to sit at the table… We need to hear from all of you,” Stokes told the crowd.
She outlined a K-12 academic vision of coordinated systemic learning at each grade level with no gaps.
At the top is literacy. “We have to make sure our children can read and yes, we’re putting supports in place at the high school. Our focus has to be on literacy first.”
Gary third graders rank at the bottom of the state in its reading assessment exam with just 47% percent passing last year compared to the state average of 82%.
Along with literacy, attendance is a big priority.
“Students have to be here. We need to make sure our kids show up,” she said.
One of the biggest complaints during the MGT era was a perceived snub of engaging with the community.
Stokes said she’s going to initiate a seven-month program for parents to learn about the inner workings of the school district and how it must align with state and federal laws.
She said sessions could cover topics like food service, transportation, and board governance. “When you learn how we operate, you become ambassadors,” Stokes said.
DeJuan Eskew, dean of students at the Glen Park Academy, said he was impressed with Stokes’ vision.
“I like her focus on early literacy,” he said. “It seems like she’s full of ideas. She’s strong-willed, but open to suggestions.”
Tomeka Pope, a Project Lead the Way K-5 teacher at Williams Elementary, also liked Stokes’ emphasis on literacy.
“I’m excited and very hopeful we do the right thing,” she said.
“I’m glad we have local control back,” said Marcus Steele, who has three family members in the district. “She seems like she’ll be someone who is there for the kids,” he said of Stokes.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
