By Nancy Bartosek

The TCU Magazine

The College of Education welcomes a new Scholar in Residence this fall as Melody Johnson, who resigned as superintendent of the Fort Worth Independent School District in May, joins the faculty.

For 35 years, Johnson has been involved in leadership in public school systems, the last six as superintendent of the Fort Worth Independent School District, with its 80,000 students and 146 schools. Johnson came to Fort Worth after overseeing the Providence, R.I., district for four years. She has also served as the associate superintendent at the San Antonio Independent School District and as the first senior director of middle schools for the state of Texas.

Johnson has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Phillips University in Enid, Okla., a master’s degree in education from Texas Woman‘s University and a doctorate in educational administration, with a focus on leadership and superintendency, from The University of Texas at Austin.  Johnson is a graduate of the 2002 class of The Broad Superintendents Academy.

Johnson’s role at TCU will be to help develop the graduate program in Educational Leadership, and will begin teaching in the spring 2012 semester.

“As Scholar in Residence, I will be vitally interested in improving leadership in urban school settings,” she says. “I am excited about the conversations we have begun regarding hosting a national symposium on school governance, leadership institutes, cutting-edge and innovative-leadership development, and the focus on urban education under the leadership of Dean [Mary] Patton.”

How did you happen to come to TCU?
Everything happened in very quick succession. I was leaving the Fort Worth ISD for sure, but I was just going to plod along until I figured things out. I’m the only member of my family who left Southern California, so it’s a big thing that I’m the wayward child. [laughs] I’ve been gone 35 years, but I guess they just haven’t gotten over it.

In May, I was at a city luncheon and the ink wasn’t even dry on my resignation when [Chancellor] Victor [Boschini] came to my table and asked, “Would you be interested at all in coming to TCU?”  He just spews enthusiasm, so it just sort of snowballed from there. I really had no interest in working; I just wanted to spend time with my family in California.

Then Victor hosted a luncheon here and the next thing I know, here I am. I immediately liked Dean Patton and just think the world of her. She says all the right things, and philosophically we’re very aligned. I think she gives tremendous leadership to the College of Education. So it was one of those things that just evolved. I think you are where you are meant to be at any given time.  

You were in your first planning meeting last week. What was discussed?
It was so much fun and exciting and I was on such a high. It was an initial planning meeting; what we’re going to address, where we want to go with the master’s and doctoral program in educational administration. One of the most enticing things about joining TCU was where they want to go with the Educational Administration program. We will look at revamping the masters program and aligning it with the doctoral program. I also really like the fact that they care about urban education.

My passion is leadership development, from principalship up through the superintendency. The needs of K-12 public education are so dramatically different than they were 20, even 10, or you can even say five years ago. Really, we haven’t changed anything substantively in terms of preparation in the last couple of decades. So the fact that TCU is open to that kind of innovation and thinking and redesigning, is very, very exciting.

Here at TCU, it’s like your own thinking is your only limit. That kind of intellectual dialogue, debate and discussion without all the noise is something I’m really looking forward to.

 

How is it different from what you’ve been doing?
When you’re the practitioner, especially in the CEO chair in such a fast-moving organization, you really don’t have time to think. You’re always doing. This is a very welcome luxury, to come into this kind of environment.

I’m not going to teach until the spring semester; we’re still in the design stage, but then we’ll see what the best fit for me. I’m very excited.

What about TCU stood out to you?
The district had quite a bit of interaction with TCU in the school system, and for a small, private university, that is unusual. The outreach and collaboration has been very, very nice. TCU runs the district’s math and science camps for the kids, which is wonderful. Ever year, they give scholarships to Fort Worth ISD kids, and the reading department has collaborated with the schools.

Victor and I sat on the Fort Worth Executive Roundtable together, so I really felt very comfortable with TCU and what they are doing. Mostly, I think it’s the personalization that is offered here. My whole career has been spent in very large systems, complex systems, and so this is a very welcome shift in this point in my life and my career. I think it’s a really nice fit.

Also, education buildings are normally the stepchildren of the university. So it’s so nice to come in and see that this department has not been neglected. I think the campus is one of the crown jewels of the city, without a doubt.

What do you see as the big issues in education that need tackled?
I think everything can be tackled, and pretty much everything needs tackled, but if I put my superintendent hat back on, leadership is key. You can see example after example. If you have two schools that are exactly alike, with all the same resources and equal teaching capabilities, but at one you have a dynamic, gifted leader and at the other another kind of leader, the school with the principal who has an instinctive gift and background for leadership will allow that school to soar. The other will be mediocre. So much comes down to the principal. It cannot be underestimated how much difference that single person in a school makes.

 

How do you teach leadership?
Well, you don’t really teach leadership. You teach the various skills and technical competencies, but you also have to talk about the human side of change and look for people who understand that all those technical abilities and core competencies are no good if you don’t have relationships with people. It all comes down to relationships. You can know it, but if you can’t drive it and sell it and move it, it doesn’t do you any good.

And that embodies so much that you have to talk about with up-and-coming leaders — things like ethics, and being driven by your core values.  Leaders had better know how to keep the compass true north because you’ll always have opportunities to go off course, any day of the week.

Are you glad to be out of limelight?
To get out from under the microscope will really be, I think, a welcome relief. It takes a toll on you after 10 years as a superintendent. I’ve spent a whole lifetime in the public sector. I loved the good fight, but after a few years, it wears you out.

I don’t mind reporters, I’ve never minded. I do mind the way journalists have lost their focus and now look for what’s going to sell the story. But dealing with the media is part of being a leader, and you’d better learn to have thick skin and stand in the wind and not waver because you’re going to get hit.
 
One of the people that helped me when I was superintendent in Providence was Ruth Simmons, president at Brown University. I still have her quote on my desk wherever I go. She said, “If you’re going to lead, you’re going to be criticized. It’s required.”

Anything you’d like to say to the TCU community?
I’m extremely honored to be here. I just think it was my great, good fortune. I certainly hope to be able to contribute and be valued-added.  Also I expect to be a learner and gain a lot personally and professionally with the really outstanding people I’ll be working with.

And I love purple. I have a purple heart and my house is purple.  My grandmother’s favorite color was purple, and she was such a force. I remember her sponge painting — way before sponge painting was in — her linoleum floor with purple. So I have a purple soul.

I’m delighted to be part of TCU now. This is a happy place to be.