The Savior?

Many students in the Kansas City, Missouri, School District (KCMOSD) will be unable to read this article. A greater percentage can read the article but will not be able to comprehend what they have read.

Herein lies the biggest problem the KCMOSD faces as it sits on the verge of being stripped of its accreditation by the State Board of Education. A majority of the district's 35,000 students are not meeting basic academic standards. This fact not only jeopardizes the future of thousands of children but also costs the district money and its reputation. In a metropolitan area with more than 20 school districts, the KCMOSD is the largest, operating 73 schools. It also has the highest profile and is the most scrutinized.

Benjamin E. Demps Jr. is the district's savior for the moment, and optimism is high that he can deliver some answers to the problematic school system. "This is a major job, and the difficulty is the expectations of the people who think the district's problems will be solved quickly," says Demps, who was born in New York City. "I really feel that I should not be expected to resolve in eight months what has taken 15 years. I'm not that punishing on myself."

A self-professed boat-lover, Demps established himself as a highly respected manager in the Sooner state -- Oklahoma. The longtime state and federal government employee has a reputation for healing troubled bureaucracies. The KCMOSD hired Demps to dramatically shake things up, and his plans for reform have caused more drama than a Shakespearean play.

Demps has done what past superintendents have struggled to do during their tenure. He has stood up to pressures from within the district and from outside special-interest groups. Demps says he is open to being lobbied and will listen to suggestions but will not be easily swayed, as past superintendents have been. The neophyte superintendent's tough talk sounds good, but his ability to stick to his independent stance as he addresses district problems is an ongoing process.

The 66-year-old Demps arrived from Oklahoma City and took control of the district on Aug. 2, 1999. His early assessment of the district was that it was an uncoordinated mess. "When I arrived in August, I saw disruption throughout the district," he says.

The district is failing. KCMOSD students suffer under low test scores, poor academic achievement, low teacher morale, high dropout rates, lack of standards, and low expectations. The 2,400 district teachers have taken a lot of the blame for the students' poor performance, and they question whether the superintendent truly values them. Also, the teachers' union is at odds with Demps over proposed changes to its contract. Meanwhile, the community wants instant reform, but its members are wary of change.

Demps chose to come out of retirement to redirect the beleaguered district and has inherited a grand mess of problems. He retired from the Federal Aviation Administration and served as director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Demps also founded an aviation consulting firm, Demps Enterprises. Demps has no experience running a troubled urban school district.

"Demps is under tremendous pressure," says Ajamu Webster, a key member of the political organization The Black United Front and a district parent. "The way you handle the district is not the way you would shut down an airport or downsize a social service agency. This is not the same thing. The school district is in the business to educate children."

Demps, also a former Air Force staff sergeant, says he is prepared for battle. He is armed with a supposedly well-designed plan and what he considers a team of experts. His biggest asset thus far has been his reputation for being a good manager. But what some say is a dull personality could become a liability. Demps is in a position where he must motivate others. For that task, a deadpan personality can be an obstacle.

Everything about Demps is ho-hum, except for his love for America. "I believe in public education because it is good for democracy," says Demps.

In a school district in which a majority of the students subscribe to slain rapper Notorious B.I.G's theory on life, either you slinging crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot, it is tough to understand how Demps and his "pledge allegiance to the flag" mentality will relate to the hip-hop generation of students whose educational future he is trying to improve.

The superintendent does not deal with the day-to-day chore of interacting with the student population. And Demps has avoided setting foot inside any of the schools on a frequent basis, which could mean that he realizes his old-fashioned views and conservative personality may not go over well with the students. So has he taken a why-bother stance?

Some district officials have wondered why Demps has not made more of a presence at the school-site level. When asked, Demps dodges the question, saying that visiting schools is not a function of the superintendent.

Students today see right through superficial authority figures. Peers may respect Demps' fatherly image, but his conservative dress and reserved manner would not earn him many points with the youth culture. Critics say Demps must connect with the student population for the district to seriously rebound. The students must know who he is and buy into his leadership skills and plans for improvement. It will be a challenge connecting to the youth, and so far, Demps has avoided the specifics of that task.