At age 33, the next superintendent for the Ferguson-Florissant School District, Art McCoy, may become one of the youngest superintendents in the state, if not the nation, come July 1.
He succeeds Superintendent Jeff Spiegel, who is retiring. McCoy will continue to serve as assistant superintendent of secondary education during the transition.
“We are a village that raises great children when we all work together,” McCoy said.
McCoy is calling on businesses and community stakeholders in the district in make 21st century education relevant for students who are tomorrow’s workforce, to maintain district accreditation and to create a variety of learning opportunities for school success.
“We need businesses to have students as interns; we need businesses and community members to come and do classes to say, ‘This is how my job is as a freelancer or a self-employed individual,’ because the market has changed, and good corporations aren’t guarantees of jobs and you’ve got to make a way,” McCoy said.
“We need the community for manpower and womanpower, for mentors and for money. That’s a big part of the plan.”
For now, his transition includes working closely with Spiegel and giving what he describes as a “laser beam focus” on areas that affect district accreditation.
“We’ve positioned ourselves to create time to think long-term, strategically and with a real focus on academic achievement in math, in communication arts and in areas of accreditation,” McCoy said.
Since his selection was announced last week by the school board, McCoy has been receiving accolades, especially from his former teachers.
Living in poverty as a child, having dyslexia and enduring break-ins and threats from gangs, McCoy said he chose education as his deterrent.
“I learned that hard work takes you far,” he said.
“I learned how to pray, how to go without meals and still eat enough … those syrup sandwiches and those nights of Ramen noodles.”
‘Calm the students down’
As a youth, his selection to restore calm during chaos at his high school in West County is what made McCoy want to teach and lead.
“I was in high school during the race riots that occurred around ’91 in Lindbergh and people had to walk out from school and it made its way to West County, and they started to walk out at Lafayette because of race issues between blacks and whites,” he said.
“The principal chose me and five others to try and calm the students down. I was one of two blacks and three whites. We had every lunch off and we were successful in one month and we basically became peer mediators, and that then created a push in this area for peer mediation.”
From that instance, McCoy the student became a teacher.
“We trained adults in Springfield on how we did it so that they could do it as counselors to help others set up peer trainers,” McCoy said. “That was my first awakening of the power of education.”
McCoy became a math teacher, learning, leading and building upon a breadth of experience and responsibilities that prepared him for what lies ahead as superintendent.
“Our amount of hours that students spend in school can be increased – it’s not the highest in the state. We know that more time learning gets more results,” McCoy said.
“Focusing on not making learning the same old learning – we will make it enrichment; we will make it acceleration; we will make it hands-on – even community service/service learning for elementary students.”
At the high school level, for example, McCoy said there are plans for more dual enrollment courses at the community college and UMSL, and more online classes. At the middle school level, McCoy envisions more of what is now found in high schools, such as clubs, intramural sports, speech and debate, robotics, mock trials, theatre, Project Lead the Way, Gateway to Technology.
“That all sets up students for success in life and as they go on their path,” McCoy said.
Pastor’s son
McCoy is the youngest of four siblings born to district elder A. John McCoy, pastor at Grace Apostolic Family Worship Center, and his mother, Norma Jean McCoy of Florissant. The younger McCoy has served as a minister of music at his church.
At age 19, McCoy became the youngest certified teacher in the state. Being the same age or younger than his pupils gave McCoy insight. Thwarting discipline problems while helping struggling students improve grades became the fast track to administration. By 22, he became a vice principal at St. Charles Middle School.
McCoy earned his bachelor’s degree at age 19 in math education at Harris-Stowe State College. His doctorate in education at 25 and master’s in education administration at age 22 were earned at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, the same college where his childhood sweetheart Belinda attended. They met as freshmen at Riverview Gardens High School.
McCoy married young, too – at age 17. This was no “shotgun wedding” – this was an intentional union built on love, thinking ahead and education.
“First of all, we loved each other – that was No. 1. But No. 2, we had good grades,” McCoy said.
He and his wife, Belinda, have a 6-year-old daughter, Rachel. McCoy said the family is planning to live in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.
