Jay Clark, the superintendent of Corey Rawson Schools in Rawson, Ohio, is a leader deeply committed to fostering relationships and strengthening his rural school district. With a background as a middle school music teacher, curriculum director, middle school principal, and assistant superintendent, Clark brings a wealth of experience to his role. Over his three and a half years leading Corey Rawson Schools, he has focused on meeting both the educational and broader community needs of his students and families.
Clark believes in the power of servant leadership, a philosophy that guides his approach to administration. “Foundational to education are relationships,” he said. “Building those relationships with those who work with us, for our students, obviously, we want to model that and be a caring, inviting organization, a caring, inviting school for our families and students and certainly our staff as well.”
Corey Rawson Schools is a small, rural district with around 500 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, all housed in a single building. This setting allows Clark a unique opportunity to engage directly with students and families in a way that larger districts often cannot. “I get the opportunity to walk from a preschool classroom to high school chemistry in just a few short steps,” he shared. “Getting to know those families and understanding their needs is part of that as well.”
One of Clark’s most significant initiatives has been implementing a community learning center model to serve his district beyond traditional education. Recognizing that Corey Rawson is situated in an area without gas stations, grocery stores, or major resources, he and his team sought ways to address broader needs. “We really looked at ways that we could meet needs that our students and their families had, as well as our greater community,” Clark explained. “So that started with a partnership with the YMCA here. We opened a childcare center on our campus that serves infants through school-age students for before and after-school care. They’re open year-round from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.”
This initiative was designed to address a critical childcare shortage, where for every available spot, ten children were on a waiting list. Beyond serving the immediate need for families, the center also enhances kindergarten readiness and provides an essential service for teachers and staff members who need reliable childcare. Additionally, Corey Rawson students benefit through a high school work-study program that allows them to gain hands-on experience while working in the childcare center.
In response to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on early childhood development, Clark and his team have taken a proactive approach. “We definitely saw kind of a cliff for a lot of our students coming into school and our younger students that started school during the pandemic,” he noted. “So, we’ve changed a lot of, and not only the childcare center here, but also we have started a two-year kindergarten program that the first year really focuses on social skills.”
Beyond early education, Clark is also attuned to the mental health and social challenges faced by older students, particularly regarding social media use and its impact on their well-being. “We have a group of students who were of an age to get involved with sports or the arts or other activities that didn’t really do that during the pandemic. They didn’t have that formal opportunity to do so,” he said. “That’s another piece of the puzzle that we’ve seen—trying to help our students and their families build those connections with other people, other humans that are authentic.”
This effort to engage students beyond the classroom has led to a 30% increase in participation in extracurricular activities at Corey Rawson over the past few years. Clark sees this as essential to fostering strong relationships and a sense of belonging among students.
Another area of focus for Clark is ensuring his district adapts to the evolving landscape of education technology, including artificial intelligence. While Corey Rawson has taken a cautious approach, Clark recognizes its potential. “We need to, first of all, understand what it is, but then figure out how to help our students leverage it in a positive and productive way,” he said. “We know they’re likely using it as I speak, but it’s getting them to understand how to use it productively and appropriately so that it can help them and add efficiency and maybe a level of quality to their work that they may not have had before.”
Clark is also deeply aware of the broader challenges facing public education, particularly in the face of shifting perceptions and the rise of school choice policies. In response, he emphasizes the importance of districts telling their own stories. “I think it’s really important for schools to tell their story because, for a long time, we’ve let other people either create a story that’s not accurate or control that message,” he asserted. “Something that I feel very strongly about is telling the story of our district.”
To combat misinformation and highlight the successes of Corey Rawson Schools, Clark utilizes multiple communication channels, including social media and traditional print newsletters, to connect with the community. “For me, it’s about bringing people into the school, sharing information through different media,” he said. “Even my own family sometimes will ask me questions about something they heard online about a school, and I can set them straight. But we don’t have that opportunity with everyone.”
At the heart of Clark’s leadership is a commitment to ensuring students are prepared for life beyond high school. “That was a big piece for our district that we’ve really spent a lot of time investing resources in so that our kids have at least a plan walking out the door,” he said. “It will likely change for many of them, but at least they have some sort of plan and they know what they need to do to make that plan.”
Through his dedication to relationships, community involvement, and forward-thinking education strategies, Jay Clark is shaping Corey Rawson Schools into a district that not only educates but also uplifts the entire community.
Tune into the entire conversation with Jay Clark on the Education Leadership Edge podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.