Education With Purpose

Transforming curriculum to connect classroom learning with regional job opportunities

At Dayton Public Schools, five core principles steer the educational ship for over 13,000 students. Superintendent Dr. David Lawrence has built his leadership approach around what he calls “the five Cs” – customer service, culture, commitment, collaboration, and communication, all visible on posters throughout the district’s 56 square miles of facilities.

“I believe that almost every issue we have, even if it’s positive, is a reinforcement of those values or indicates where there’s a gap,” Dr. Lawrence explains. “I usually point to it and say that’s probably a gap in terms of collaboration. These people should have been in the room, and they weren’t, or that’s a gap in communication. We didn’t contact these people and put them in the loop.”

The framework functions as both diagnostic tool and strategic compass, helping identify operational breakdowns and reinforce organizational strengths. Dr. Lawrence continuously references these principles to align the district’s 2,500 employees around a unified purpose. The five Cs support Dayton Public Schools’ straightforward mission: “Inspire, educate and empower”. This value-centered approach mirrors effective corporate structures where clear principles guide decision-making at all levels, creating accountability and consistency throughout a large organization.

Addressing the Teacher Shortage Crisis

Dayton Public Schools confronts a nationwide teacher shortage that hits urban districts particularly hard. The district’s strategies to tackle this challenge blend recruiting innovation with retention priorities to maintain educational quality across its 28 schools.

“We’ve been affected by the teacher shortage, and I don’t think there’s anyone that hasn’t been,” Dr. Lawrence states. “In urban centers like ours, the turnover rate can reach 16% as a median average, sometimes as high as 22%. You have a situation where at least one out of 10 teachers leaves the profession each year, while major universities aren’t producing enough education graduates to fill these gaps.”

The district implements several pioneering approaches to address these staffing challenges. They’ve partnered with Elevate K-12, a platform connecting content expert teachers with students virtually, particularly for high-demand subjects like mathematics and science. This innovative solution ensures students receive instruction from qualified teachers despite local hiring difficulties.

“What we’ve used Elevate K-12 for is to take content-level experts who have left full-time teaching and connect them online with our students,” Dr. Lawrence explains. “They teach virtually with a staff member in the classroom to ensure students stay engaged. This helps us address the critical issue of content knowledge, especially in mathematics where incorrect instruction in early grades can permanently hinder student progress.”

The district also leverages internal expertise, transitioning skilled operations staff into teaching roles for career-technical pathways. Additionally, Dayton Public Schools has implemented comprehensive financial incentives, including $2,500 signing bonuses for all teachers and matching retention bonuses for existing staff.

“The first step to recruiting is retaining,” Dr. Lawrence emphasizes. “We are always actively engaged in how we can keep professional staff in the district and find innovative ways to provide high-quality instruction.”

Embracing Technology with AI in the Classroom

Dayton Public Schools positions itself at the forefront of educational technology innovation through a systematic approach to implementing artificial intelligence across the district. “We started an artificial intelligence committee at the beginning of the school year,” Dr. Lawrence reveals. “It began after I attended an AI symposium in Cleveland by Martha Holden Jennings. I was exposed to artificial intelligence and all the ways it can work in education. On the drive back to Dayton, I kept thinking about how it could help with transportation routing, teacher recruiting, classroom instruction, and lesson planning.”

The AI steering committee, chaired by Dr. Kurts Miller, includes diverse stakeholders from across the district, including teachers, HR personnel, operations staff, principals, central office administrators, and a board member. This cross-functional approach ensures the initiative addresses multiple operational areas rather than creating isolated technology silos.

“For the first three or four months, the committee researched and brought in several vendors,” Dr. Lawrence explains. “They decided to partner with School AI to pilot implementation during the second half of this school year to allow us to evaluate how it works in classrooms and with teachers before our full district-wide rollout next year.”

This comprehensive strategy distinguishes Dayton Public from many districts taking piecemeal approaches to educational technology. The district already maintains one-to-one technology access for students and operates one of the world’s 35 Challenger Learning Centers, where students gain hands-on experience with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“We’re at the precipice of systematically implementing artificial intelligence throughout the entire district,” Dr. Lawrence notes. “We’re not just taking bits and pieces like many other school districts. We have a cohesive plan for next year that positions our students for success in an increasingly AI-driven world.”

Preparing Students for the Future

Dayton Public Schools has reimagined its educational model, shifting focus from standardized test performance to career readiness through a comprehensive pathway system that connects classroom learning directly to regional workforce needs.

“What I’m leading now with Next Generation Learning represents a transformation in how we think about school,” Dr. Lawrence states. “We’re no longer just talking about test scores. We’re turning all classes into pathways to jobs, creating career connections in every school that cover almost every sector of this region.”

This career-focused approach addresses a significant economic opportunity: approximately 66,000 unfilled positions across the Dayton region. The district’s career-technical programs offer students practical skills while earning industry credentials and college credits simultaneously through partnerships with institutions like Sinclair College, rated among the premier two-year universities nationally.

“In our EMT pathway at Ponitz Career Technology Center, students earn what we call CCP credits, or college credit plus, where they receive both high school and college credits,” Dr. Lawrence explains. “That pathway can lead to multiple career options beyond EMT, including nursing, medical technology, and radiology.”

Community connections further strengthen these career pipelines. The district has established business advisory councils at each school, with recent meetings drawing over 150 industry partners at Meadowdale Career Tech alone, creating work experiences, apprenticeships, and eventual employment opportunities for graduates.

“We have automotive pathways where community members bring their cars to be serviced by students, while local dealerships donate vehicles for learning experiences,” Dr. Lawrence notes. “This practical training gives students real-world skills that immediately translate to employment.”

Building Infrastructure for Growth

Dayton Public Schools demonstrates strategic capital management through coordinated infrastructure projects that position the district for enrollment growth while enhancing operational efficiency.

“We recently completed a $35 million renovation of our sports stadium, along with an $8 million renovation of our transportation center,” Dr. Lawrence explains. “We are actively looking to purchase and renovate a professional learning center dedicated entirely to ongoing development for all our employees.”

This professional learning facility addresses a critical organizational need for continuous improvement while symbolizing the district’s commitment to staff development. The investment comes in response to encouraging enrollment trends that challenge conventional narratives about urban district decline.

“Our district is expanding, and we are running out of space because we’re continuing to gain students at the K-8 level,” Dr. Lawrence notes. “The question becomes how do we obtain additional properties for elementary schools that are bursting at the seams.”

Infrastructure planning encompasses core building systems through a three-phase HVAC modernization project, with the first phase already completed. Such upgrades directly impact learning environments while improving operational efficiency across the district’s extensive real estate holdings.

These capital projects exist within a broader context of systematic improvement at Dayton Public Schools. The district’s five-year forecast guides financial planning while its Academic Action Plan and Strategic Plan target increased student success through effective instructional strategies and resource strengthening for diverse populations.

A Heart for Education

Behind Dayton Public Schools’ initiatives and infrastructure is a leadership philosophy grounded in lifelong learning and personal connection. Dr. Lawrence’s approach harkens back on educational theory and practical experience as a Dayton native who has served the district in multiple capacities throughout his career.

“I don’t know if there’s anybody who reads as much as I do. I’m always giving people books and articles,” Dr. Lawrence shares. “I think there are two ways to eradicate most societal ills as they relate to how people think about each other: reading and travel. When you are well-read and have traveled the world, you lose some implicit bias and prejudices. You become more tolerant and thoughtful.”

This perspective on continuous learning shapes his leadership style throughout the district’s operations. As a graduate of Dayton’s Paul Laurence Dunbar High School with 27 years of educational experience, Lawrence brings professional expertise and personal investment to his role.

“What I find most rewarding about education is that overwhelmingly, most people come to work with a purpose,” Dr. Lawrence reflects. “I worked in banking before, and it’s a completely different environment when you’re working for shareholder values versus creating opportunities for children. I prefer the latter.”

Even as superintendent, Lawrence prioritizes student interactions across the district’s diverse student population, understanding that such relationships create lasting impact beyond academic metrics.

“I was walking into a store recently and ran into a former student who’s now 36. He works for Apple in their logistics department and has a wife,” Dr. Lawrence recalls. “It’s those moments where students remember you and the impact you had on them. You know you’ve been part of a child’s journey in their life.”

Looking Ahead with a Two-Year Roadmap

“Looking ahead, our top initiative involves Next Generation Learning and creating a work-oriented environment for all students starting in preschool,” Dr. Lawrence outlines. “We want children thinking about potential careers early, with guaranteed pathway exposures at each grade level. By freshman year, students will have experienced 20 to 30 career options, allowing them to make informed decisions by 10th grade.”

This career pathway framework represents a fundamental shift in educational philosophy, emphasizing practical application over standardized metrics. The district has completed phase two of this five-phase initiative and aims to accelerate implementation in the coming years to maximize student opportunities.

“We want to nail this thing down. We’re on phase two of the initiative but want to reach phase five sooner rather than later,” Dr. Lawrence explains. “This approach connects education directly to regional workforce needs while increasing student engagement through relevant, future-focused learning.”

Alongside curriculum transformation, Dr. Lawrence targets organizational culture as a critical focus area. “I work extensively on transforming the culture of any organization I lead,” he states. “For me, it’s about creating a professional culture that emphasizes customer service and treating people not how you would want to be treated, but how people should be treated.”

These strategic priorities build upon recent progress at Dayton Public Schools, including improved academic results and decreased chronic absenteeism rates. By balancing practical career preparation with organizational excellence, the district aims to create an educational environment where students and staff can thrive while addressing regional workforce needs through systematic, sustainable improvement.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Dayton Public Schools

What: Urban school district serving over 13,000 students with 2,500 employees

Where: Dayton, Ohio

Website: www.dps.k12.oh.us