Dr. Avis Williams: Ask Avis: How to Build a Leadership Pipeline

Dr. Avis Williams shares how her district was able to create a robust leadership pipeline while building a culture of joy along the way.

By SchoolCEO Last Updated: August 17, 2021

EPISODE SUMMARY

Dr. Avis Williams of Selma City Schools shares how the small Alabama district was able to create a robust leadership pipeline while building a culture of joy along the way.

EPISODE NOTES

When most people think of Selma, AL, they think of a past associated with images like the Edmund Pettus Bridge, John Lewis, and the Civil Rights Movement. But for Dr. Avis Williams, superintendent of Selma City Schools, her Selma is about the future.

Although Selma has a rich history, when Dr. Williams arrived in the district, the small school district in the Black Belt of Alabama faced many of the same challenges that small school districts across the country experience, including a shrinking teacher and leadership pool.

The lack of available talent was so bad that whenever the district needed to hire someone for a leadership role—whether in the classroom or in administration—they were constantly having to look elsewhere. In order to ensure an even brighter future for Selma, Dr. Williams and her team developed a leadership pipeline in the small district.

In this episode, Dr. Williams shares how the small district of Selma was able to create a robust leadership pipeline for teachers and administrators.

Dr. Avis Williams (@DrAvisW)

Selma City Schools (@SelmaSchools)

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