Dr. Dan Good took over as interim superintendent for Bexley City Schools Tuesday, Oct. 6, following Superintendent Kimberly Pietsch Miller’s move to the Eastland-Fairfield Career Center.
Good has worked previously in Westerville City Schools and at Wooster City Schools, and he was also the superintendent of Columbus Public Schools. He was hired by the district through the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, and his main focus is to be as accessible as possible to students and teachers alike, he explained.
“I have to be connected to students, and I have to understand what they’re thinking, what they’re feeling, and what their experience is like in order to make certain that we’re putting the structures and personnel in place to enhance that experience,” Good said.
He added that one of his overarching goals while serving as superintendent in Bexley is to build equity within Bexley schools.
“Another big issue currently in Bexley is talking about equity and inclusion and making certain that we’re addressing that systemically, that our policies and our practices are reflective of a very inclusive environment where everyone feels safe and feels they have equal opportunity,” Good said.
He went on to reference his time as the Superintendent of Columbus City Schools, where he said he was honored to be part of the effort to make the district administration’s demographic reflective of the demographic of the student body.
Regarding coronavirus, Good said he would like to see Bexley listen to the Center for Disease Control’s recommendations and adjust the hybrid plan based on them. He added that he believes in expanding resources relating to the mental health of students and teachers, especially in the midst of the coronavirus.
“The emotional health of our school personnel, and when I say personnel I mean both faculty and staff, is paramount,” Good said.
Furthermore, Good said he will also be making an effort to support the arts, since the high school he attended lacked artistic opportunities, which made him an even greater proponent of the arts.
“In any district where we’ve had to make budget reductions, there’s always a fear that music and drama and visual arts and physical education would take the biggest hits, but in fact, my past record shows those are often the last places we would make those reductions,” he said.
At the high school Good attended, he said there were no AP classes offered and very few extracurricular options, which made him further admire Bexley’s continuous academic success and various programs.
“Certainly, Bexley City Schools have a strong reputation for academic excellence and their extracurricular pursuits,” he said. “I love the balance between both the athletic and the arts. It seems there has been equal consideration and resources allocated for both of those, which I am thrilled about.”
