Dr. Jo Ann Simmons, lone finalist for Superintendent of Cumberland Academy. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

In the months following contentious changes at Cumberland Academy, new leadership is stepping in and pledging for a more transparent and accountable chapter for the school. The board held a town hall meeting Thursday evening at Cumberland Academy’s Performing Arts Center to introduce parents and staff to the lone finalist for Superintendent, Dr. Jo Ann Simmons.

“The purpose of the meeting is for you to get to meet our new superintendent, and an opportunity to see what the vision of Cumberland Academy will be going forward,” said Dr. Jim Cotton, Chairman of the Board at Cumberland Academy.

On Monday, the board appointed Simmons as the lone finalist for superintendent. In accordance with the Texas mandate, which applies to charter schools as well as public schools, the school must wait 21 days before officially hiring. The waiting period allows not only for necessary background checks but for public review and feedback.

“Why did the board of directors choose Dr. Simmons to be our new leader? For one, she’s local, she’s spent most of her entire career… in the Tyler area,” Cotton said. “The most important thing is her experience and her performance.”

Simmons is a longtime East Texas educator, bringing more than two decades of experience, including 12 years as superintendent at UT Tyler University Academy.

During her tenure, the district earned an “A” rating from the Texas Education Agency at all campuses, increased enrollment by 400%, maintained superior financial ratings, and became the highest-performing district in Region 7, according to a press release from Cumberland Academy. She also helped secure more than $250,000 in performance-based funding for teachers through the state’s Teacher Incentive Allotment. 

Prior to her time at University Academy, Simmons worked in Tyler ISD for 12 years as a teacher, coach, and principal. She has also served as Superintendency Program Coordinator and adjunct professor at UT Tyler and has worked as a TEA Professional Service Provider and charter school mentor.

“There are a lot of untouched opportunities that exist here,” Simmons told the audience. “I want to build on the great things that you’re already doing at each of the campuses. I want to get to know what you want as parents. I want to get to know our students. You have beautiful facilities – let’s fill them up.”

The charter school took a hit in attendance when 30 out of 500 educators and staff members were terminated from their positions last October due to budget cuts. Parents and other teachers expressed shock and concerns over the layoffs and the impact it had over the students.

“I hate that happened… I don’t want to be in that position,” Simmons said. “I don’t want our students to be in that position of walking through a door and realizing their teachers are no longer a part of our school.”

Simmons said the importance of financial management will be a focus as well.

“It’s important as educational leaders to ensure that we’re doing our due diligence to really look at how we build a school, as well as the alignment of our budget. I don’t ever see that happening again as long as we’re being good fiscal managers.”

As the pending leader over the school, Simmons is focused on bringing back stability and rebuilding trust with families, staff, and the wider school community.

Simmons invited the attendees to speak out on concerns, encouraging open dialogue as part of the board’s commitment to increased transparency.

An attendee raised concerns about student safety at Cumberland Academy, Simmons emphasized the importance of preparation and communication. She said the school works with an outside group to provide safety training for teachers and students and stressed the need for everyone to be informed and prepared in case of an emergency.

“In all of my years of experience, I would say communication drives safety,” Simmons said. “Because if something happens and nobody knows where to go or what to do or who to call, then you’re gonna have chaos. And I don’t like chaos.”

Another parent raised concerns about how the school serves students with special needs. Simmons said she has a child with dyslexia and understands the importance of supporting those students.

“That’s important to me because I know that with every child we need to look at them separately,” she said. “So if a child comes to us and they need additional support, it’s our responsibility to figure out how we can help them.”

Simmons said individualized plans can help educators better support students, though that doesn’t mean creating a separate lesson plan for every child. Instead, she said, it’s about understanding what engages each student and using that knowledge to help them grow.

She emphasized the importance of measuring progress and said parents should expect regular updates on how their child is doing — such as being able to see growth from August to October.

Intentional check-ins will be built into instruction from pre-K through 12th grade, Simmons said. She added that the charter school is currently reviewing curriculum resources at every level to ensure teachers — especially new ones — have what they need.

“I’m going to make sure you have the resources, the support and the training you need,” Simmons said. “We’re going to show up for your kids. We’re going to show up and work hard. You’re going to know how they’re doing. We’re going to communicate with you, and we’re going to communicate in a timely manner. We’re going to be open to your questions. And if we’re not doing something, come tell us. This is your school.”

For some parents, like Katie Page — who has two children at Cumberland High School — the evening brought a sense of optimism. While acknowledging past tensions, she said the tone and approach of the new leadership left her hopeful for the year ahead.

“I just feel very positive that we can make some good changes and that things can move in the right direction,” Page said. “Because when it comes to our kids, we all want to make sure that we can communicate and things are transparent and they seem to be on board with all of that.”

In addition to outlining their vision for the school year, district leaders used the town hall to introduce key members of Cumberland Academy’s updated leadership team: Mary Lee Hernandez, head principal of upper and lower elementary; Michael Moore, associate principal of upper elementary; Mary Morris, associate principal of lower elementary; and Inger Coleman, associate principal of the middle school.

“I want us to get 1% better every day,” Simmons said. “Every day, I’m going to get 1% better. Our kids are going to get 1% better. Our teachers are going to get 1% better. And if we keep getting 1% better every day, we will be the best school in East Texas. We will be the school of choice.”