StateImpact Special: How Gary’s Administration Is Getting To Work
All this week, we’re bringing you stories from inside the Gary Community School Corporation – a district many agree is in need of repair. Yesterday, we introduced you to the city of Gary, its history and some of the major players in the local schools.
Today, we go on a ride through the district and into the school buildings with a woman many credit for the beginnings of Gary’s turnaround: Superintendent Cheryl Pruitt.
- 'Not Your Traditional Superintendent'Superintendent Cheryl Pruitt says she sees it as her job to help turn around the many negative perceptions of her district. “When you print things and you tell people that stuff, it becomes their reality,” Pruitt says. “It may not be the truth, but it’s what people begin to believe.”Download
To many, Dr. Cheryl Pruitt stands out among other important Gary residents and benefactors, including Oprah, the Jackson 5 and Magic Johnson. (Photo Credit: Rachel Morello/StateImpact Indiana)
A sneak peek…
Dr. Cheryl Pruitt is a product of the district she now heads. During the course of her career, she has also taught and served as an administrator at several Gary schools. She says she never planned to become superintendent – it’s one of those things that “just kind of happened.” And, she says, it’s home.
Despite her love for the city, she’s not in denial about the problems its school district faces.
I’m probably not the traditional superintendent, because I have debt, I have funding, I have education – and then I have the negative publicity, the vouchers, the charters, the takeover – it kind of all just goes together in my head.
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