DeKalb:

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School, and the third was conducted April 14 at the Administrative and Instructional Complex in Stone Mountain.

Horton is superintendent for the Evanston/Skokie, Illinois, School District 65 which includes 7,894 students. DeKalb County Schools has and enrollment of 102,000.

As superintendent at Evanston/Skokie, Horton implemented programs to support academic growth for Black and Latino students. He was named superintendent of the year by the National Alliance of Black School Educators in 2022.

Horton also served as chief of schools for Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky and deputy superintendent for East St. Louis School District 189 in Illinois.

The nomination has proven controversial to some who take issue with Horton’s background, citing concerns about his lack of experience leading a school district as large as DeKalb.

The concerns came to a head at the Chamblee town hall. For the first half of the two-hour event, Chamblee High School Principal Gail Barnes asked Horton a series of prepared questions that the public had submitted online in advance.

The questions centered on Horton’s experience in leadership roles and how he plans to approach the superintendent position. Horton said some of his key goals include visiting all 139 DeKalb County schools in the first 180 days of the job.

He also focused on creating communication opportunities with staff and the public with events like “chat and chew.”

“We talk about the very challenges that’s arising in the district at the time, or just have face time with parents because we know parents are really critical in the development and success of a school district,” Horton said.

The nominee also spoke about his plans to retain school staff amid a nationwide teacher shortage.

“When teachers feel support and they have resources they stay,” Horton said.

He proposed additional social work liaisons and “face liaisons” to relieve overworked teachers, as well as robust education training and mental health supports.

Following questions, the town hall hosts tried to bring the event to a close, but protests erupted from audience members who said they should be able to openly ask questions at the town hall.

“If I wanted to hear a speech, I would’ve watched videos online,” a woman in the audience said.

The hosts acquiesced and opened the floor to questions from parents, who addressed some of the controversies around Horton’s nomination.

Horton drew notice after he was hired in the Evanston School District in 2020, when he made the decision to allow marginalized students to return to in-person learning before other students.

One parent said she was “deeply troubled” that as part of the COVID-19 pandemic plan “minority students, Black and brown students were given first priority while White students had to stay at home.”

Horton clarified that the “marginalized” students he and the 60-member community group brought back first were special education students and kids who receive free and reduced lunch.

“Unfortunately, it happens to be that most of our students that are in those categories are Black and brown,” Horton said.

Horton also responded to questions regarding “gender-related and race-related” education. At Evanston/Skokie, he spearheaded “Black Lives Matter week,” as well as weeks focused on LGBTQ+ students and Latino students.

For DeKalb County, Horton said if aspects of his previous approach aren’t “a desire of the community” he won’t touch it in his approach.

After additional questions about his commitment to auditing DeKalb County Schools curriculum, safety and budgetary plans the hosts ended the event, citing time constraints and emphasizing the two additional town halls the public can participate in. Horton ended the night with brief remarks.

“My goal is to come into the community and make sure that we continue to center our students first,” Horton said.