Sharonica Hardin has been selected as the next superintendent for the University City School District.
Since 2012, Hardin has served as assistant superintendent for human resources and leadership development for the Ritenour School District.
“Her history of leadership and community service make her a wonderful next leader for our district,” Lisa Brenner, Board of Education president, said of Hardin.
The Board of Education announced Hardin as Pruitt’s replacement on Wednesday, January 27, following an eight-month search process that culminated last week with a Ritenour site visit. The board extended a contract that is expected to be approved at the next board meeting. Her salary will not be disclosed until the hiring is approved. Hardin will assume her duties July 1.
Joylynn Pruitt, who served nine years as superintendent and 16 total years in the district, is retiring at the end of the school year.
“It’s a very humbling experience,” Hardin told The St. Louis American. “There were many great candidates. I am looking forward to working with the entire community to make this district the best it can possibly be.”
U. City has about 3,000 students and is fully accredited. In October, the state’s academic assessment showed that the district earned 110 out of 140 points, or a score of 78.6 percent – which is up from last year.
Hardin said that she is in the process of looking over the state’s data on the district, which she said will help her pose questions about the district and how to improve it. “The data points are there,” she said, “but I don’t want to make any assumption of what the root causes are.”
However, Hardin said she is “sad to leave Ritenour,” where she has “an amazing team.”
At Ritenour, Hardin oversees the hiring of all district staff and organizes professional learning. She said her time at Ritenour has given her the opportunity to work in a more suburban setting, as well as with a more diverse student body.
Ritenour’s student population of 6,250 students is about 40 percent black, 36 percent white and 16 percent Hispanic.
St. Louis Public Schools, where she worked previously, has 24,150 students and is 83 percent African-American and 11 percent white.
U. City’s student body is very similar to SLPS demographically: 84 percent African-American and 10 percent white.
Previously, she was the chief human resources officer for SLPS from 2007 to 2012 and an elementary principal, instructional coach and teacher in SLPS from 1997 to 2007.
At SLPS, Hardin led the development of a peer-assistance review program for teachers, called the St. Louis Plan. The goal was to support and retain new teachers and provide development opportunities to veterans as well.
“My strong background in HR and in instruction is a good blend,” she said.
In her current role, she works closely with school leaders to make sure that their goals align with district culture.
“You can have great systems in place, but if the culture and people’s behaviors don’t fit that system, it typical fails,” she said.
She has always believed in “leading with the head and the heart,” she said. She believes it’s important to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes and surround herself with people who both compliment and balance her.
“The word I live by is ‘humility,” she said. “See how that resonates when you work with people.”
From 2005 to 2007, Hardin served as “Principal on Special Assignment,” helping SLPS expand its partnership with the St. Louis Science Center and to improve the district’s focus on science and math instruction. She was the founding principal of Adams Elementary School, one of SLPS’s new schools.
Hardin is in the process of moving into her husband’s childhood home in University City with their two children. Her husband, James Bartley, is a district alumnus, and she feels she is “keenly aware” of the community.
Hardin grew up in North St. Louis and participated in the desegregation program, attending Lafayette High School. She has her undergraduate degree in elementary education and special education from Harris-Stowe State University and earned an M.A. in education administration from Saint Louis University. She recently completed her Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Throughout her career, Hardin has been active within the community and serves on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County. She was involved in the Child Well Being and Education Equity Committee of the Ferguson Commission and serves as an Advisory Board member for Webster University’s and UMSL’s Education Departments.
Hardin said she is committed to St. Louis, particularly to University City.
“I am thoughtful leader who understands the importance of human connectedness,” she said. “I believe in education equity for all students, regardless of their zip codes.”
There will be a public reception for Hardin 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 9 at the McNair Administrative Center, 8136 Groby Rd.
