Running the Newburgh Enlarged City School District cannot be an easy task. It encompasses three municipalities, dozens of schools, thousands of employees, over ten thousand students, and a budget worth tens of millions of dollars. Overseeing such a large and busy district takes a person who has: An ability to multitask; expertise in education and business management; strong interpersonal communication skills; quick-thinking and strong decision-making skills; and an extreme amount of energy.
Superintendent Dr. Jackielyn Manning Campbell began her new post just before the start of this school year. Although she has lengthy experience and certainly is not new to the education field, she is new to the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. She took on her new position without knowing any of the personalities of her employees or the unique inner-workings of the District. She is demonstrating a decisive and quick-thinking method of doing her job while remaining humble, friendly, and making herself available to hear the public’s feedback.
The position was vacated by disgraced ex-Superintendent Roberto Padilla, who was the complete opposite of Dr. Manning Campbell. Padilla was suspended amid sexual harassment allegations and later resigned. The Board of Education rewarded Padilla with over half a million dollars to resign.
This was not someone we needed running a school district as fragile and diverse as the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Dr. Manning Campbell is rejuvenating the District and has already proven herself to be a quick-thinking leader.
Late Friday night, news broke of a nighttime shooting on the grounds of Newburgh Free Academy as fans began leaving a football game. At least one lunatic opened fire and shot three people in the parking lot. Dr. Manning Campbell acted swiftly.
Within just a few hours of the incident, the Superintendent activated a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team to begin preparations to help students and their families. The same night, she communicated this information to the public. She also urged the community to take a stand against violence.
On Saturday, Dr. Manning Campbell issued a lengthy statement to students, families, staff, and residents. The CISM Team would be on hand at two schools plus the Board of Education building on Sunday to meet with anyone who wanted to speak with a professional. In addition, she assigned CISM Teams to be on hand all day long at every school on Monday. She also coordinated with police to increase their presence at certain schools during arrivals and dismissals.
On Sunday, Dr. Manning Campbell once again briefed the public. She explained that schools would run on a normal schedule on Monday. She also announced her collaboration with Orange-Ulster BOCES to mobilize a county-wide CISM Team for additional support in the secondary schools. She took a moment to assure the public that the district is working closely with law enforcement to identify the suspects.
Dr. Manning Campbell ended each of her missives by vowing to keep the public informed throughout the process. She attempted to unite the public by continuously reiterating that the one or two shooters do not represent the community as a whole. She repeatedly urged the public to come together.
A good leader shines when the going gets rough. In her short time at Superintendent, Dr. Manning Campbell has already proven that she is up to the task of leading the Newburgh Enlarged City School District.
