I don't even live in Richmond County, and I am extremely proud of the impact Dr. Bedden has made in RC school system. If you ask me, he's had more issues with the faculty the last two years, than the students.
Richmond County Superintendent Dana Bedden has been criticized for being an outsider, someone who doesn't understand the issues facing the inner-city school system of 32,000 children.
But Dr. Bedden's life and his experiences might make him a unique fit to address the challenges faced by Richmond County, a school system with high poverty, operating under a decades-old desegregation order and plagued by low expectations.
Dr. Bedden, 42, is completing his second year as superintendent, and negotiations for a new three-year contract could soon begin.
On the night he was named Richmond County's new superintendent on June 28, 2007, Dr. Bedden said children will achieve if you believe they can achieve and he stands firm in that belief, rooted in his upbringing.
Where he is now is far from where he began.
The married father of three came from poverty.
Up until the age of 3 or 4, Dr. Bedden lived in Jordan Park, a Florida housing project, where his father did maintenance work.
"I look back on the projects as a good thing," he said. "My mother believed in growing out of the projects."
Life wouldn't get any easier for him after the move.
Dr. Bedden didn't have a bed until high school. Until then he slept on the couch in the living room. In middle school his family got its first car, a car which at times required a little pushing to get going.
He recalled teachers who pooled their money together to buy him a school yearbook he otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford.
"He was Mr. Personality," said Shelby J. Harvey, his assistant principal at Osceola High School in Seminole, Fla.
Arriving on the first day of school, the middle- schooler made the rounds, introducing himself to everyone on staff and shaking their hands, Dr. Harvey said.
"I have never had another student do that," she said. "He was quite a leader as a young man."
She said there was a joke that he should he given a walkie talkie to communicate with administrators because he always knew what was happening within the school.
Dr. Harvey said she expected great things from Dr. Bedden, but said it is "quite remarkable" for him to become the superintendent of such a large school system at such a young age.
Dr. Bedden is the youngest of four sons and was raised by his mother and stepfather. Two of his brothers went to prison for drugs, and one of them died there as a result of complications from AIDS after using an infected needle. Another brother died at birth.
Dr. Bedden remembers living through desegregation and the hostility he experienced as a black student in the South.
He was bused at least 25 miles to all the schools he attended in Florida as part of the second group of students to integrate schools.
"I tell people all the time the desegregation order helped me," Dr. Bedden said.
The schools for black children only received hand-me-down books and supplies, he said, but he was able to attend new schools.
At times, he experienced deep-rooted racism firsthand.
"There were times when we played out of the county, and we had to keep our (football) helmets on and the windows rolled up," Dr. Bedden said about some of his experiences on the football team.
But he always stayed out of trouble, his mother Elsie Taylor said.
Except for that one time.
Ms. Taylor said he got into trouble once when his friends stole hubcaps and he served as a lookout.
Police arrested his friends, but let Dr. Bedden go because they could tell he didn't want to participate.
The police let him off, but he wasn't so lucky at home. Dr. Bedden said he begged the police to take him in and not to call his parents.
His stepfather made him do community service, and his coach made him perform extra workouts on the basketball court.
It was part of a strict upbringing and another lesson learned -- children can recover from mistakes.
As a child, if he did the dishes but missed one plate, his mother would throw all of the dishes back into the sink and make him wash them all again, he said.
And the same was true when cutting the grass. The lawn had to have precision lines cut into it or he would have to cut it over.
"It's always more efficient to do things right the first time," Dr. Bedden said.
He remembered a time when his mother told his brother to get a job within two weeks or get out of the house. She packed his bags and put them out on the porch.
Dr. Bedden was always held to high expectations.
"I was fortunate to have a mother who even with an eighth-grade education saw it was important I get mine," he said.
Ms. Taylor said she stressed the importance of an education.
"That was a must because I didn't finish," she said, recalling what she told him. "If you don't do anything for me in your life, please finish at least 12th grade."
His mother said he got his work ethic from her.
At the age of 70, when most are retired, she continues to work the night shift at a pharmacy, not getting off until 6 each morning.
His stepfather died a few years ago after suffering through bouts with diabetes, which resulted in his foot and leg being amputated.
At Osceola High School, Dr. Bedden was a three-year, three-sport letterman and an Outstanding Graduating Senior. He was recognized by the St. Petersburg Times as the all-county quarterback.
Dr. Bedden was accepted to West Point, but attended the University of Florida. He enlisted in the Army Reserves for a time, before returning to college. He earned degrees from Florida, Penn State and Virginia Tech.
From early on, teachers had high expectations of him.
"Teachers always said what I could do and not what I couldn't do," Dr. Bedden said. "I was expected to go to college by my teachers."
And athletes who didn't do well in class didn't compete, he said.
"I think I was very fortunate to have always had people in education who always believed in me," Dr. Bedden said. "The people in my life have shaped who I am, but I've got a long way to go to be the person God wants me to be."
Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.
DANA BEDDEN
AGE: 42
TITLE: Richmond County school superintendent
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree from University of Florida, master's degree from Penn State University and doctorate from Virginia Tech
FAMILY: Wife and three children
Comments
I don't even live in Richmond County, and I am extremely proud of the impact Dr. Bedden has made in RC school system. If you ask me, he's had more issues with the faculty the last two years, than the students.
Dr. Bedden had a very tough road when he arrived and has made many positive steps. Some things are out of his control due to politics with the BOE such as keeping staff memeber on the payroll taht clearly should be fired vs. a job change. Dr. Bedden seems to have done really well from his upbringing, again showing that anyone of any race coming from anywhere can acheive whatever they want without being continually enabled from the government. His parents seemed to be firm disciplinarians, something that Richmond County is sorely lacking but is very much needed.
Exactly, asitisinaug! Anyone can achieve anything if they really want to. No excuses, no blame, no handouts.
Richmond County residents should be proud to have Dr. Bedden at the helm!!
Dr Bedden sure has done an oustanding job in very tough times unlike the last useless joker we had.All he did was sit on his butt and get rich off of the Richmond Co.taxpayers
Dr. Bedden is doing a great job. Richmond County is proud of him. Now if more students will follow his example and make something of themselves.
That is a wonderful article about Dr. Bedden. I was reared in a similar way in poverty. My father was a sherecropper and we picked peas, hoed cotton, and shucked corn for a living. The living conditions and the family strengths were very important. I studied my homework by lamp lights because there was no electricity in our house until 11th grade, finally. Still, I maintained an A average in all of my classes. My teachers and central office staff were very supportive.Those were the good ole days. I could criticize and say many bad things about Dr. Bedden's performance on this comment but what will it profit me? It is a wonderful and rewarding feeling when you work for or become a student of educators who really have your best interest at heart and will do anything in their power to help you succeed. On the other hand, it is a disgrace from God to work for or be a student of an educator who is not supportive, vindictive, hateful, spiteful, and are always setting up stumbling blocks in your pathway. There are both kinds in every school system. I am gled to hear Dr. Beddenls statement about he has a long way to go before he can become who God wants him to be. That is so true. God
always renew our strength daily and know that your completeness is only in God and he has already done it before the foundations of the world was created. You were not even in your mother's womb when God planned your destiny. Your faith in the spirit realm is being renewed daily. As a Richmond County resident, I have many concerns but I have learned to tell them to God and KNOW that they will be taken care of by God and not man. Happy Father's Day, Dr, Bedden and may God bless you and your family and guide youe footsteps into all truth.
I've always had enormous respect for those successsful people who came from meager beginnings. They have an insight that is impossible for those from more affluent families to have. Give me two people with equal credentials, one from a wealthy family and one from a poor family and I'll take the one who worked his way up, yet kept the understanding of what it is like to grow up poor. That's why police and fire chiefs, military people who worked their way up and so on make such great, common sense gifted, leaders.
Alright now! Some folks need to remember this article before they run their mouth against him. He is the best person for the job, bar none! We are blessed to have him! Thank you Dr. Bedden! Y'all better hope he wants to stay.
Riverman, it is interesting to me to look at families in which the patriarch/matriarch have raised themselves from meagerness to wealth. Some want to shelter their children from the struggles and then spoil them; some are tough on their children in order to teach them the value of hard work. I have much respect for "old money" families in which the work ethic has been preserved, but you are right, successful folk from meager beginnings have vast wisdom and deserve our respect. That is how America became great.
It's very disappointing to look at the world knowing that people's opinion create the preceptions of our communities. If people could really understand the saying "It takes a village to raise a child."
Yes, Mr. Bedden is at the forefront just as Obama is at the forefront of the USA.
However,everyone has to work together to make our communities and world a better place. Stop pointing the finger and use that same finger to take part in helping our children become educated productive adults.
Dr. Bedden has made terrific progress in Richmond County. His job must be one of the most difficult in education. Cleaning up after Charles Larke will take a number of years. I only hope that the Board of Education will give him the time he needs to make education in RC a priority. And I hope he will stay long enough to do it.
It doesn't really take a village. A supportive community is a nice bonus, but what it really takes to raise a child are two parents who are committed to each other and to their children's best interests.
I don't really see the parallel between Bedden and Obama. Bedden has a much stronger resume. He had already proven himself successful in the classroom and in smaller systems before being hired here, while Obama wrote a few books and voted "present" a lot. Bedden believes in holding folks (students) accountable while Obama wants to redistribute the wealth and punish the achiever. I wish Bedden all the success in the world while I hope Obama fails.
smith, you are correct about the village. It's the family. It's the individual. And I think that Dr. Bedden is attempting to hold individuals accountable in education. I know I'd vote for Dr. Bedden for president long before I would Obama. In a year or two, everyone will know why.
One of the secrets of life is grabbing opportunities when they are presented to you because you never know if these opportunities will be presented, again. No matter if you love them or hate them, Bedden and Obama were presented with opportunities, they grabbed them and made the best of their opportunities.
Dr. Bedden is definitely to be commended for his hard work, determination and motivation. He has risen above some extreme and challenging hardships--but that doesn't make him infallible, nor does it mean that he's automatically the best person to lead RCSS. Most people have a "back-story" of hardship, and/or poverty, and/ or unfair treatment at some point in their lives--some more so than others, but still, it's there. Many rise above it--while others don't. Some put on a good facade of having done so--but really haven't. Our primary interest should not be where Dr. Bedden comes from--but where he's going.
A/RC should be very proud to have Dr Bedden to lead their school system. He's "been there and done that" and knows what many students in RC face daily in poor households. He got from his parents what seems to be lacking in RC kids-discipline at home and encouragement to better themselves. I come from a very similar background with a mom that taught me good manners. The Army gave me the ability to improve myself and succeed, which I did from Private to field grade officer and high school flunk out to a doctoral degree. Opportunity is where you look for it. It can be found in this great nation of ours without government intervention.
I have no children in the RC school system but I believe that Dr Bedden is doing a great job Its some of the board members that need to be voted out and TRansportation department needs to be cleaned up and get rid of some of the bus drivers that are not doing their jobs and that are racial and yes there is one bus driver that is racial
Thank Goodness Mr Michael Shinn is gone noew when you you going to clean up the rest of transportation department
Dr. Bedden walked into a difficult situation, and some wondered if he would tough it out. He's no quitter and he's not on a power trip; he's willing to make a financial sacrifice, just like other school employees, in order to keep things going. Apparently he is not beholden to anybody but the children, their educators and protectors. He's looking better and better.
sweetiepie@4:29-You say transportation only has one racial bus driver? One out of what (260to300) workers.If the rest of the world could have those kinds of percentages.
We need to keep this man here.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
