Episode 9: Dr. Nikki Woodson, Superintendent, MSD of Washington Township

As the superintendent of Metropolitan School District of Washington Township, Dr. Nikki Woodson is the face and voice many have come to know and trust. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she and other leaders worked with students, parents, and community members to pass the state’s largest referendum, resulting in $470M to enhance student learning environments, solidify a commitment to supplier diversity, and establish partnerships that are positively contributing to central Indiana’s workforce. In this episode, Woodson shares more about how the district is working to empower growth while serving the needs of students and the community.   

Transcript

Sarah Hempstead: Hello, and thank you for tuning in to Illuminate Navigating the Unknown through Creative Leadership. I'm Sarah Hempstead, AIA LEED AP principal in charge and CEO of Schmidt Associates. After passing the state's largest referendum during the COVID-19 Pandemic Metropolitan School District of Washington Township secured $470 million to enhance student learning environments.

Sarah Hempstead: Solidify a commitment to supplier diversity and establish partnerships to positively contribute to central Indiana's workforce. As a result, they're now embracing their building projects to not only transform educational environments for students, but to also empower the community with mentorships, workforce development opportunities and intentional partnerships aimed at creating equity with the mission of offering quality education built on a foundation of outstanding educators, administrators.

Sarah Hempstead: School board members and supportive parents. MSD of Washington Township is developing lifelong learners and globally minded citizens by fostering academic, creative and social skills needed to achieve excellence in a multicultural environment. Within that district, there are 15 schools, almost 11,000 students, and all the amenities of a small town, including offices, athletics, transportation, maintenance and warehouse facilities, a preschool and even a police department here to talk with me more about Washington Township and the work that is being done there to empower growth and meet the needs of students and the community is superintendent Dr.

Sarah Hempstead: Nikki Woodson. Dr. Woodson, thanks for being here. Welcome to the show. 

Nikki Woodson:  Thank you so much. I'm honored and appreciate the invite. 

Sarah Hempstead: Well, let's start, um, with your early influences. What got you interested in the field of education? 

Nikki Woodson: You know, my story is very unique. I knew from a very, very young age that I was going to be an educator.

Nikki Woodson: My parents have photos of me, um, engaging in play teacher mode from a very, very young age. But most interestingly, my high school counselor and I graduated from a, a local high school here in Indianapolis, wrote a letter of recommendation to my university in which I was offered a full ride based on that recommendation and other portfolio work.

Nikki Woodson: But she said, Nikki is going to be a CEO or superintendent of a public school corporation in Indianapolis. This was in high school. You were all of 17. 'cause my goals. We're that crystal clear back then and she went on to say how I am very, very certain when I set a goal, I make the path to reach it. And so I've known from a very, very young age, not only did I wanna be an educator, that I wanted to be a public educator, and that my ultimate job after experiences thereof, was to be a public school superintendent.

Sarah Hempstead: So were your parents involved in education? Did you have a teacher who was your model that you looked up to? 

Nikki Woodson: No, no one in my family was in education. And actually I had, um, lots of people surrounding me. Are you sure there's other fields? Do you wanna explore? Would you like to meet people in other professions?

Nikki Woodson: But I was crystal clear in my mind on what I wanted to do. Um, my mother, uh, who's no longer with us, just always taught us. Whatever you do, be the best at what you do. And so she had very high expectations for us, no matter what we decided to do. So if I was gonna be an educator, I needed to be one of the best.

Sarah Hempstead: So you did a full circuit of Indiana colleges and universities? I, I actually did, yes. So from Ball State to, uh, Butler to a PhD from Purdue, right? Yes. So what did those different college and university experiences help you learn about what great education looks like? 

Nikki Woodson: Sure, yes. Each of those had a different focus, and so Ball State was a focus on my teacher's license or my pedagogy in developing my skill sets as a teacher.

Nikki Woodson: When I went to Butler, that was focused on my principal's license and being a building level administrator, and my PhD at Purdue was focused on superintendency or district level leadership, and so there was certainly a different level of focus in each of those. You know, schools are extremely complex, unlike many other industries we have.

Nikki Woodson: Human capital as our main focus or as our customer service. And that has its own dynamic nature to it. So each of those levels taught me, um, pedagogy, research base, um, skill sets, practice through practicums. Experiences with people already in the field. Um, so that when you receive your degree in education at each of those levels that you're prepared.

Nikki Woodson: Um, and I just had the wonderful pleasure of having those experiences at amazing Indiana colleges and universities. 

Sarah Hempstead: Got a few more degrees you can get in there. Round out the, well, there's time left. So, so when I look then moving from university to career, uh, it seems like you did a, you took a similar trajectory, uh, working not just in one area, but across multiple sectors as a principal, right.

Sarah Hempstead: As an assistant superintendent working with special needs, talk to me about. What that means as a leader to have worked your way through a system, seeing it from multiple different perspectives. 

Nikki Woodson: Sure. Again, I knew early on what my ultimate goal was, which was to be a superintendent, and I knew that to be a superintendent, I had to have well-rounded experiences within schools and the ecosystem of a district, and so I specifically sought out different experiences throughout my educational career.

Nikki Woodson: Some of the doors were opened for me. Saying, we'd like for you to experience this, or we'd like for you to step into this role. Others, I sought out myself. But, um, there, there's not a single isolated one experience that makes me who I am. It's the culmination of all of them that are a part of my, if you will, fabric or quilt of education.

Nikki Woodson: You can't pull out any one thread. It takes all of them to make the quilt Beautiful. 

Sarah Hempstead: Uh, I would think that that would help you have empathy as well for all the myriad of people who work for and with you to provide student services. 

Nikki Woodson: Yes, and it, you know, education is, is a broad base. Even after I became superintendent and all the experiences you just mentioned that I held are positions I held in schools, I recognized that I still had learning to go.

Nikki Woodson: And so in my early years as a superintendent, I, over a course of a year specifically sought out to shadow, if you will. Staff members who I never trained for those roles or held during my educational experience. So I was a custodian for a day. I served lunches in school, lunch cafeterias for a day at various levels.

Nikki Woodson: I was an assistant bus driver for a day. I worked side by side with front office secretaries for a day, and those learning experiences work. Equally important to the professional titles that I had held previous. So learning never stops. And, you know, I'm an educator at heart and I continuously seek out learning opportunities to make me the best that I can be.

Sarah Hempstead: So let's talk about when you first became superintendent. Mm-hmm. Um, you, you were young, one of the youngest in the state of Indiana. Yes. Uh, it was 2011. You were the first, right? Yes. First female African American superintendent in the state. Which is pretty awesome. Um, one of the youngest in the state. Yes.

Sarah Hempstead: Um, and you decided you're gonna learn from all the people who work from you and also you're just gonna real quick write a book and lead the district and also write a magazine column on educational leadership. Uh, that sounds like a lot. How do those things tie together to make that quilt and build on both your own knowledge as a leader, but also the educational capacity of the district?

Sarah Hempstead: You 

Nikki Woodson: know, being an educator at heart, it's not my job just to obtain knowledge. It's my job to share it. By the nature of what I do. And so I have always sought ways to share what I'm learning or lessons that I have learned from my mistakes. And each of those aspects, if you will, that you just mentioned, were efforts to do that.

Nikki Woodson: You know, we have built systems and teams and tried things and failed and learned from those. And the more I can write about that or share with other educators or the greater community at large, um, I think it's. It's helpful because I've learned from other people who have shared, and so those are just efforts to, to be a, an educator that shares their wealth beyond myself.

Sarah Hempstead: Well, and and I, I see how much you share your wealth beyond yourself, not just with Washington Township, but with the community. I, I know you do a ton of different things, including working with President Benjamin Harrison house, uh, but other community initiatives as well. Can you talk a little bit about those?

Nikki Woodson: Yes, absolutely. You know, when I look at things that I have done, it is a bit overwhelming on paper, but they all weren't at the same time, and so this is over. Span of years that these experiences or my giving back to the community has happened. You know, I have served on many, many boards. Um, the local, uh, international Baccalaureate board as well as the regional Baccalaureate board, as well as the.

Nikki Woodson: International Board of Governors, that was an amazing experience. Um, I got to visit schools and see and learn from educational systems across the globe, and that was a wonderful experience. You know, serving in different capacities and boards such as supporting the UNCF. I have served on challenge day, which lends to take into account the child's.

Nikki Woodson: Total wellbeing and social emotional learning. I have served in various capacities with organizations here. I have supported the Center for Leadership Development here in the city. Um, I have traveled far and wide to keynote at various national and and regional conferences. But again, all of that is, is just a part of me sharing what I have learned.

Nikki Woodson: In a method that I learned from others. 

Sarah Hempstead: You are also invited by President Obama to join his top 100 educational leaders. That's a pretty special day. 

Nikki Woodson: It was an incredible day, and I will tell you quite an honor when those types of experiences come along. You have to just take a moment and take a deep breath and soak it all in.

Nikki Woodson: Being one of 100 superintendents nationwide that was chosen for that very special day at the White House, getting to personally meet President Obama and have audience with him was quite an experience that I will never forget. 

Sarah Hempstead: I'm interested in. What you have learned participating in the International Baccalaureate mm-hmm.

Sarah Hempstead: Working with it, that international educational system is a, is a very different perspective. It's a very different lens Yes. Than most education in the world and certainly than most public education in the, in the us. What, what are the value that you think that brings to students? 

Nikki Woodson: Sure. Well, first.

Nikki Woodson: Thinking about our national education system in the US becomes very small. When you think about the world and the different values, cultures, governments and authorities over schools and education systems and the different complexities and politics that come into play throughout the globe. It is a big world out there.

Nikki Woodson: And so we have so much to learn, um, as a US young. Nation from other countries who have many, many more years and decades beyond what we have experienced. And so I sought it not only to serve on that board, but also to gain knowledge. And so they, you know, it's an educational system that spans across the entire world.

Nikki Woodson: And so our meetings or our learning as a board of governors was held in. All of the regions of the world that IB serves. And so lots of airplane miles, but lots of gained international education knowledge at the same time. And we just have so much to learn from each other. I think that there are great similarities when you talk to parents in other countries and compare that to what parents want for their kids here.

Nikki Woodson: There's great similarities and there's great differences. Um, and I think that neither of which. Pit us against each other. I think it's a beautiful thing that when we can learn from each other globally and and across the world, that's awesome. That's awesome. 

Sarah Hempstead: You've done so many great things and have so many great accomplishments, but I wanna talk about running the largest referendum in the state, uh, during COVID, which, which I gotta tell you, that's a pretty gutsy, that's a pretty gutsy move.

Sarah Hempstead: Absolutely. Now I know that wasn't the plan. Exactly. It was 

Nikki Woodson: not the plan. 

Sarah Hempstead: So, so maybe start with, um, what it's like to build. Uh, stakeholder buy-in. Yes. Um, in a, in a world that's rapidly changing and certainly was in a little bit of chaos then. 

Nikki Woodson: Mm-hmm. Well, the biggest, uh, complexity that came with our 2020 referenda was coming off the back of a 2016 community referenda in which we asked for.

Nikki Woodson: Um, at the time, the state's largest construction referendum, as well as operating funds to support programs and staff in our schools. And so it was an understanding or helping our community understand why we're here again four years later. Asking for more monies for the same things. Additionally, you know, we saw the creeping up of the pandemic that spring that we all did.

Nikki Woodson: That uncertainty that what is this? How long is this gonna last? What's the impact? All of those questions, all industries were dealing with, and no one knew the answers. The one thing that I knew. Was that the needs that we were asking for for our schools were not going away regardless of what this pandemic brought, and that's what we had to educate to our community.

Nikki Woodson: We are blessed to have a supportive community in Washington Township who successfully passed both the 2016 and the 2020 referendums that we asked for on the ballot, but that came after extraordinary years of stakeholder communication. And stakeholder building of trust, answering stakeholder questions.

Nikki Woodson: Even though we may have felt we've answered that question 20 times to that stakeholder, we hadn't, I had to remain accessible. It was, um, a time that maybe at minimum five, six nights out of the week I was in church basements or somebody's home. Or in our schools themselves giving presentations or just getting to know stakeholders or answering their questions.

Nikki Woodson: But most communities understand that great schools. Equal great communities and great communities equal great home values. And so it's a super simple formula. The part that we had to educate on is why our schools can't stay great just based on the state funding that we receive and why we have to ask our tax payers for referendum funds to support the future of our schools.

Nikki Woodson: And so that education process is a long process to reach. A wide range of stakeholders in Washington Township. Um, the lowest percent of stakeholders are parents in our schools. So you think well, parents understand, yes, but they comprise of the lowest percent of residents in most of our communities around Indiana.

Nikki Woodson: And so reaching the non-parents or the stakeholders in our communities who don't have children actively engaged in our schools is a task. But they have to understand the need, they have to understand the complexities of school funding and, um, what this means for their future, for their community. And we were thankfully able to successfully do that in Washington Township.

Nikki Woodson: Not on my own accord, of course, but with an amazing team, um, that helped us get there. 

Sarah Hempstead: So one of the things I have continued to be impressed by within that process is your ongoing communication as you realize the goals that you set out, that you told the community that you were yes you were after. Um, and also expanding the.

Sarah Hempstead: Uh, the story and the reality of the impact, uh, because certainly those projects are impacting, uh, more people, more businesses mm-hmm. Than just the parents of, of school children. Can you talk a little bit about that? Absolutely. 

Nikki Woodson: So, um, the. When you go after renovations of an entire school district, meaning 15 facilities for us, you have choices to make.

Nikki Woodson: You can choose to only, um, update and renovate certain facilities, or you can make the decision for equity across your construction projects, and so that no one is left without an innovative facility at the end of the timeframe. We made that gutsy decision that we didn't want any school, any part of the district left without a 21st century, beautiful learning environment for their students and their community.

Nikki Woodson: That means 15 facilities needed updating and renovations. The depth that those renovations obviously differed. Building to building based on the age and the lifespan of what was needed to be done. But we made that gutsy decision that every part of our district. Deserve this because every part of our taxpayers base in our community, as well as our students deserve that, and especially the staffs inside of those school facilities.

Nikki Woodson: So we didn't do that alone though. We got input from our professional partners. We even asked input from our parents and stakeholders. We had feedback from students. Some of my best. Sessions were asking what students wanted in their future learning environments and certainly our professional staffs who gave us input, um, in great detail about what would be best, uh, to foster a great learning environment in the 21st century.

Sarah Hempstead: And then part of the expansion of the work has been to introduce, uh, local businesses to participate in the process. Yes. And introduce some of your students to ways that they can participate in local businesses. Right? 

Nikki Woodson: Absolutely. So that has been probably one of the most exciting parts. Um, we have student interns engaged in all facets of our construction projects right now.

Nikki Woodson: Um, we highlight them on our website. Um, we celebrated some at our board meetings this past semester and that really is exciting to come to fruition and see it come. We have businesses, um, involved with us. Our professional partners have been all hands on deck, making sure that our students are involved.

Nikki Woodson: In small ways from um, at an elementary school where they were explaining what an engineer does to having students intern with engineers in some of our high school experiences. So that truly has been a joy to see come to fruition. Our community partners have also helped us in other ways too, with some of our internships.

Nikki Woodson: And secondly, you know, we have seen a developing need, so we are creating a brand new class starting next year at our career center that the school board just approved this month. Construction Trades is coming back to our career center, so we're super excited about that. Yet again, another opportunity for our kids to tie directly into our construction projects and continue learning.

Sarah Hempstead: It, it is a job that cannot be outsourced. Absolutely. Is the actual people building something on a site. Yes. That's wonderful. So let's, let's pivot a little bit to talk about about your team. 'cause we've had the pleasure to work with lots of them over time, and I know you keep a topnotch group of leaders who could.

Sarah Hempstead: Work anywhere. Absolutely. So what do you do to make sure that where they choose to work is Washington Township? 

Nikki Woodson: No, I realized early on in my administrative career that I'm only as good as the people I surround myself with. So I, uh, had a goal early, early in my administrative career to hire. Well, and once you hire, well that is half the battle well done.

Nikki Woodson: And that's exactly what I'm experiencing in Washington Township. I'm surrounded by an incredible team who you are absolutely correct, could be anywhere they choose to be. 'cause they're the top at what they do. They're the best at what they do. They've had the most experience at what they do. Um, but my team is all hands on deck.

Nikki Woodson: And the beauty, no matter whether it's. Business finance, human resources, operations to our teaching and learning, uh, team, everyone has that best eye or the best decision making from the student lens at hand. And that to me is first and foremost. So my team has been incredible. Um, they keep me energized, you know.

Nikki Woodson: I think that when you create a team, you become a family. And so we are like family in Washington Township when we speak or we give salutations to each other. It's from the Washington Township family or from your family in Washington Township. And so creating that climate and culture is super important, um, not only for retention of your current staff, but also recruitment.

Nikki Woodson: A future staff. We have had some people of our team leave, but successfully they're leaving to promotions and that next step in their career, which is always exciting because they deserve it. Um, they work hard and, uh, we are family in Washington Township. 

Sarah Hempstead: How do you think about mentorship and career development for, for your young talent that you bring on?

Nikki Woodson: Yes. Today's generation is a different generation than even, you know, decades ago when I started in education. I don't think in the future we're gonna find people with. Decades and decades in the same school corporation are in the same business or dedicating to the same firm for a long time. This generation moves quite a bit and we need to reimagine ourselves accordingly.

Nikki Woodson: So I do think it is a matter of making sure people understand their opportunities within your organization, understanding as an employer what. Your employees want for their next steps and where they might wanna go throughout their career. Um, but it is, it's a different dynamic now with employment. It 

Sarah Hempstead: is a different, most of them haven't written out their life plan at 17.

Sarah Hempstead: Is that what you're saying to me? Right, right. 

Nikki Woodson: At least 

Sarah Hempstead: not as 

Nikki Woodson: precisely, perhaps not as precise, not as crystal clear. 

Sarah Hempstead: Well, let's, let's talk about what's, what's next for the district. Big, big picture. You are now the queen of the world in the next 10 years. What's gonna change about how education is provided and what students need from, from their 

Nikki Woodson: educational environment?

Nikki Woodson: Sure. I think. Out of tragedy comes opportunity and certainly we saw a great deal of tragedy and challenge and complexity out of the pandemic, but out of that, I think comes a wonderful opportunity for us as educators to reimagine what education is. And so if. I had that crystal ball and could step into the future, I would hope that people would talk about Washington Township really reimagined what that school experience was after the pandemic and created something that's gonna prepare kids for their future.

Nikki Woodson: We don't know exactly what that is right now, but we're in the process of that. What we do know is we can't go back to doing school like we did prior to the pandemic. There is no back to normal. It's just back to an reimagined future, and that's what we're trying to create right now. Yeah. 

Sarah Hempstead: So if you were to tell, uh, young Nikki at 17, um, one piece of advice, uh, knowing everything that you know right now, uh, I mean, you'd tell her a plan was pretty good.

Sarah Hempstead: What, what did you wish you had known when you, when you had written that plan at 17? Oh, I would 

Nikki Woodson: tell her that perfection is overrated. Uh, I would tell her that, you know, the journey. Is quick, fast, and furious, and before you blink, you're at a completely different chapter of your life. So just take deep breaths along the way and enjoy each of the chapters.

Nikki Woodson: Don't try to rush through the chapters. That's what I would tell her. That is, that is awesome advice. 

Sarah Hempstead: So, final questions. I've got one for you and just for you and then another that I ask everybody who Sure. Who comes on the, who comes on the show. So, uh, so my one for you, you have made a difference in the lives of.

Sarah Hempstead: Thousands of kids over time. Is there one story that stands out where you felt like, okay, that is a. That is a tangible difference and that young person's gonna be gonna be all right. Sure. 

Nikki Woodson: I probably could think of two if you would allow me the grace two. Two is perfect. Um, first came from when I was a principal and you know, these are the first days of school and it's busy and it's crazy and it's hectic.

Nikki Woodson: And typically the calls you get from parents aren't parents who are telling you they're thrilled with first days of school for their child. Just wanna say a great job, right? You don't typically get those the first week of school. So it was a parent who wanted to talk to me, and I'm calling that parent back after, you know, several other parents.

Nikki Woodson: I'm calling the list back and she said, Hey, I wanted to tell you that my child came home. Um, this is a black little girl. And she said, Hey mommy, my principal's a black girl. I didn't know black girls could be principals, and it was in that small moment that I realized you never know the impact that you're having on others.

Nikki Woodson: That wasn't on any of my to-do lists that week, opening schools, but it just helped me step back and realize the impact we can have just by being in these positions. The second. It's probably more recent, and this is in Washington Township. Um, I pride myself in making a point to be a part of our students' lives.

Nikki Woodson: And so, um, at this point in time, I'm at the high school quite a bit, just engaging with students. I can be a better leader if I have a better understanding of what students are experiencing. So this particular day, I am at North Central High. School and a student, female student is not making a good choice.

Nikki Woodson: And I pulled her aside. She was getting loud, she was getting a little aggressive with her language, and this is during passing period. And I pulled her aside and she was Dr. W, you don't understand. And went on to try to tell me what I didn't understand. And I said, you're better than this. Think about your future.

Nikki Woodson: Not right now. Make better choices. Dot, dot, dot, dot. Do we'll. Advance five years. She's writing me from college to tell me about that pull aside moment and how it mattered to her and how she still remembers how I said, don't think about right now. Think about your future and your future goals. Keep that in mind, not the right now.

Nikki Woodson: And, and so that reminded me that it's not the big strategic plans or the school improvement plans or the big initiatives all the time. Sometimes it's the smallest moment. That can make a difference to someone, and those two have huge impacts on me constantly. That was beautiful. 

Sarah Hempstead: All right. Final question of the day, because I build my reading list off of these interviews.

Sarah Hempstead: All right. What's the one book that you're either reading right now or that you have read that you would recommend it to everybody? Everybody should pick this up. 

Nikki Woodson: I'm a perfused reader, so I don't read one book at a time. I read multiple and the, the one by my bed stand and then the one I keep in my car from when I just have a few moments.

Nikki Woodson: Um, right now it's uh, demon copperhead and it is a beautiful tale of tragedy and triumph of. Children in poverty, in dire poverty. And it is, uh, a beautifully written book. Um, the second one is that bird has my wings and it's about a wrongfully convicted man who's on death row and how he got there and his life experiences.

Nikki Woodson: And so both are just. Very different takes from both angles of those books, but both are just, uh, profound to me right now. But I'm a profuse reader and I, I just love to devour books, so I'll be done with those. So you, you can keep going before the holidays. Absolutely.