region that once heavily depended on agriculture, and is now home to a burgeoning high-tech, research-based economy. Lannon's ambitious plans are paying off, and he was named 2007 Florida Superintendent of the Year for his accomplishments in St. Lucie.

Beyond the Book recently sat down with Lannon to discuss the process of redefining educational goals for an entire community, and dealing with the rapid expansion of a district that is expected to double in size in the next two decades.

BTB: Congratulations on being named 2007 Florida Superintendent of the Year. What does this award mean to you and your district?

ML: This award is really based on what has happened throughout my career. It is an honor to represent nationally all the great educators who have influenced and helped shape my life, as well as the sixty-six other superintendents in Florida whose collective work provides opportunities for our students and helps strengthen our communities.

BTB: What first inspired you to enter the field of education almost forty years ago?

ML: One of my primary influences was my aunt, who was a third-grade teacher and an elementary school principal. But ultimately, I entered the field of education because I caught a lucky break. In college, I was a political science major, and had wanted to go into international studies; I suppose I wanted to be someone like Henry Kissinger. It was the Vietnam War era, and after receiving an exemption from military service for medical reasons, I was recruited by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The district was looking for a cadre of forty people who were not traditionally trained educators, to teach in the inner city of Los Angeles in the aftermath of the Watts Riots. So, upon graduating, I became a member of that cadre, and began training as an educator in earnest. I was in Los Angeles for about a year and a half, participating in teacher training, riot drills, etc. It was a marvelous opportunity for me to experience firsthand what was going on in our nation, and then to start thinking about how I might contribute to a solution.

BTB: What other educational opportunities have helped shape your career?

ML: I eventually left Los Angeles to teach on the Navajo Indian reservation. I went from an inner-city classroom of forty-two fourth- and fifth-graders to a Quonset hut of twenty Navajo kindergartners who didn’t speak any English—and I didn’t speak Navajo. I spent the next four plus years among the Navajo people, where I was even more of a minority than I had been in LAUSD—from my theology, appearance, and language to my culture and food preferences. That experience enriched me, providing me with me a greater understanding of humanity.

My next job brought me to Key West, Florida, and offered yet another perspective. By that time, I had realized that I could affect more children by working with the teachers than by staying in the classroom. I was particularly influenced by Phil Schlechty's book, Working on the Work, and his belief that the real work of the school system is in the inventiveness teachers use when creating work for their students. I have since come to understand that our field is about servant-leadership—we serve first and then lead, expanding service to others and our community. As educational leaders, we need to identify where we are at the moment, find ways to improve, and confront the brutal truths along the way.

When I came to St. Lucie, I quickly realized that I work for one of the best school boards in the country because the members understand their advocacy, oversight, and policy-making roles. They've empowered me and my staff to go forth and make big changes. That's what we're trying to do right now. In a district with 22,500 out of 40,000 students living in poverty and expectations that are well immersed in the past, we are trying to revise expectations across all the cultures that make up our highly diverse community.

BTB: What was the state of St. Lucie County Schools when you first arrived as superintendent, and what were some of the specific challenges that you faced early on?

ML: The St. Lucie County School District has been really fortunate. Prior to my appointment, a colleague of mine, Dr. Bill Vogel, was superintendent, and he ushered the district away from a divisive climate. Agriculture had been the chief economy in the community, and consequently, there was a great deal of division between the "haves" and "have-nots." People had not yet figured out how best to put those differences aside and work for the children. Fortunately, the school board under Bill's leadership became this collaborative force, realizing its critical role in the community's approach to education.

When I arrived in the district in 2003, I walked in carrying Jim Collins' book, Good to Great, and basically said, "There are a lot of good things that have happened here, but now it's time to move into the twenty-first century and do great things." We assessed the reality of the situation and determined the truths that were in existence. We looked at the skill sets of our workers, the capabilities of our children, the resource allocation to schools, the level of technological advancement, and the support for that technology, as well as the alignment of our curriculum and the creation of benchmark indicators to guide our progress. We revamped all of the ways in which we deliver and hold people accountable for professional development. We moved into a collaborative, rather than a collective, form of bargaining with our unions. We've also invested in a massive building campaign that will span twenty years, and is valued at more than $2 billion. All of these things have come together, and will help us handle the doubling in size of our school system, as well as maintain the high-quality technology infrastructures and applications in our older schools.

I would categorize St. Lucie County as a school system that is on the rise, inside a community that is also on the rise. We are part of what has traditionally been called Florida's Treasure Coast—so called because of the Spanish Treasure Fleet that wrecked here in 1715, but also because of the scenic treasure of the beautiful sunrises and the agricultural treasure of our abundant citrus products. Now, local leaders are working to rebrand the area as Florida's Research Coast, which requires a great deal of change in expectations for education. To transition from a workforce that earned much of its money in agricultural labor to an economic engine consisting of high-wage, high-skill biotech, marine, and agri-science research is enormously challenging. Add to that the shift in educational expectations—from those considered appropriate for an agricultural workforce to those needed to foster a research- and technology-based workforce. The previous set of educational expectations, which I've always believed to be unjustly low, is absolutely inappropriate for the jobs that will become available. Our ability to grow and mature as a community, and to have a higher quality of life, is completely dependent on changing these expectations.

BTB: What key support are you getting from the school board, teachers, and the community-at-large to help shift the level of expectation for students so that it aligns with the shift in the economy?

ML: As part of the new role of superintendents in the twenty-first century, we need to build a collaborative launching pad to take us to new levels, and we can't do it alone. I heard David Berliner, an educational psychologist and professor at Arizona State University, speak at the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) conference in New Orleans in March. He pointed out that the American child is awake for approximately 6,000 hours per year, and of that 6,000 hours, the child is in school for only 1,000 hours. If we are really going to change the culture and the ability of our youth to reach higher expectations, what we do with the other 5,000 hours that the schools currently don't reach is the key. Because the district's plate is already full and our funding is already accounted for, we cannot extend our reach unless we are able to partner with other stakeholders. To not do so would result in 5,000 hours filled with the possibility of negative influences, such as gangs, pregnancy, abuse and neglect, and all the other things in the world of young people, especially of those living in poverty.

Part of the superintendent's job is to bring the reality of our community to the leaders in our community. Just this morning I was raising this point to our economic development board, consisting of bankers, realtors, developers, and other movers and shakers who are extremely influential. It is critically important to frame the needs of children in a way that these community leaders can understand and support. So, this morning, I discussed economic viability. If we don’t train and educate our children to the levels where they can attain high-paying, high-tech jobs, then we can't attract new business. And if we can't attract new business, then our economy will suffer, and consequently so will the development of our children.

In a district where approximately 55 percent of our students qualify for free and reduced lunches, it is imperative that our community leadership understands the real power in supporting kids' needs and changing not only our expectations of the students but also the students' expectations of themselves. We can accomplish this only by gaining access to those 5,000 available hours through afterschool and recreational programs, and faith-based initiatives.

A retired principal, who is studying to become a minister, is leading the coordination of local pastors from churches of all denominations to ask how we can partner with them and their congregations to expand children's educational and learning opportunities beyond normal school hours. The district will provide assistance with training mentors and volunteers, and we're also planning to involve Big Brothers Big Sisters, which has a national training program for volunteers in the educational arena.

By engaging all members of the community, we've taken a holistic approach to changing the culture, the level of expectations, and the ability of kids to be successful.

BTB: What do you believe are your strengths as a leader?

ML: I have a strong vision and a comprehensive understanding of what the reality is in our community. I also know that our obligation—as public servants entrusted with the future of our children—is to affect change. Without change, I believe our community will flounder and ultimately perish, our democracy will be negatively impacted, and our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be left with very little opportunity. I have been touched by a lot of very fine educators who have given me strong models throughout my career. Consequently, I'm a consensus builder and a realist, and I believe in developing other people's capacity to take on greater roles and responsibilities. By doing so, we can have more leaders in more places. The needs of our community go far beyond the walls of our classrooms.

BTB: Do you have any advice or a personal philosophy that you would like to share with others who are facing similar challenges as those you are facing in St. Lucie County?

ML: If I were going to give advice, I would say that it is important to have data that can guide our work. There is the opportunity for superintendents to become moral leaders in their communities—to set goals that are data-provable and that, therefore, become realistic benchmarks for the community. Building relationships with the school board is also key. The board and the superintendent need to clearly understand what their given roles are, and empower one another to go forth and do them for the benefit of the community. Overall, I believe that success is not about me; rather it's about what we leave the children with, and about making the right decisions and holding ourselves and others accountable.

We also need to ask, "Is this best for the children?" I know that can sound trite and easy, but I believe it to be very transforming. If we as educators really don’t make decisions based on what is best for our students, then we are really just doing a job—not answering a calling. Ultimately, we have the ability to serve all of our kids, and in so doing, serve our community. My advice is to have the courage of your convictions, know your data, and go out and advocate for kids.