91制片

Joe A. Hairston, a lifelong educator who spent more than half a century in the profession that he loved and was admired by many, died Friday, Dec. 27 at the age of 71.  

According to his family, he died while in the hospital due to several complications.

A beloved member of the 91制片 family, Hairston held positions as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent before becoming a superintendent of schools with the Atlanta area鈥檚 Clayton County Public Schools for five years.

Hairston also served as superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools for 12. While in his first year, he chartered a direction for the school system through the Blueprint for Progress, which presented key strategies and concrete performance indicators.

Hairston joined the faculty of the Howard University School of Education in 2014. It was there where he played a key role as co-founder of the 91制片/Howard University Urban Superintendents Academy, a cross-institutional partnership that offers a dynamic approach to urban superintendent preparation and certification.

Launched in 2015, the Urban Superintendents Academy was designed to offer superintendents and aspiring superintendents a revolutionary new approach to ensure success in urban settings.

鈥淭his is all about preparing you for the next dimension of leadership. You can鈥檛 turn your back on people who are depending on you for sound judgment and more importantly, a vision of where you鈥檙e going,鈥� Hairston said when he addressed the 2020 Urban Academy cohort gathering in Alexandria, Va., last summer.

鈥淭he 91制片/Howard University Urban Superintendents Academy is thriving by preparing a new generation of school district leaders who are providing a voice for children in urban communities. We would never have come this far without the leadership of Joe Hairston,鈥� said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, 91制片. 鈥淎t a time when more than half of our students are economically deprived, Joe will always be remembered for someone who broke the barriers on behalf of the vast number of children in America not receiving the quality education they are entitled to.鈥�

For his achievements, Hairston has been honored with dozens of local, national and international awards, including The Washington Post鈥檚 Outstanding Distinguished Educational Leadership Award. He has served on the Board of Trustees for Western Governors University and as past president of the Horace Mann League.

鈥淒r. Hairston will receive the Dr. Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award at the 91制片 2020 National Conference on Education for his commitment to diversifying the field of education with high-quality leaders and ensuring the best education for all students regardless of zip code or socioeconomic status,鈥� said Sharon Adams-Taylor, associate executive director, 91制片. 鈥淛oe never stopped giving, never stopped caring and never stopped mentoring others. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on in the lives of every student and educator who benefited from his service. May he rest in power.鈥�

鈥淔rom his unwavering dedication, what he brought to his work and what he brought to the children of America, I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with this man,鈥� said Mort Sherman, associate executive director, 91制片, and co-founder of the 91制片/Howard University Urban Superintendents Academy. 鈥淭o me, he was a my brother and a person I truly loved.鈥�

鈥淚t was that 鈥榝orever friendship鈥� that enabled Mort and I to come together to realize this vision that we had. Please understand that relationships are forever. In this profession, we have a job to do. We can鈥檛 do it alone. We have to do it with each other,鈥� said Hairston during the academy cohort meeting in 2019.

鈥淒r. Hairston was a visionary and progressive leader. He was also a servant leader with a steadfast commitment to ensure that all schools have effective leadership,鈥� said Dawn Williams, dean, School of Education, Howard University. 鈥淭he Howard University community will continue to keep the Hairston family, including his wife Lillian, in our thoughts and prayers.鈥�

鈥淪ince 2015, I have had the honor of working closely with Dr. Hairston and his wife Lillian on the Urban Superintendents Academy. Over the years, I watched in admiration as he challenged up-and-coming leaders to think 鈥榖eyond the moment鈥� and to make connections on a systems level when looking to serve all students effectively,鈥� said Bernadine Futrell, director, 91制片, Leadership Network. 鈥淗e was a professor to professors, a superintendent to superintendents and a leader among leaders.鈥�

The Celebration of Life Services will be held on Friday, Jan. 3, at Morning Star Baptist Church, in Gwynn Oak, Md.