In a few more weeks, Sylvester Small will close out a 38-year career in the Akron Public Schools. Hired in 1970 as a substitute teacher, Small advanced to become superintendent of the district in 2001. In a remarkable gesture at a farewell dinner on Thursday night, the school board named the district's administration building at 70 N. Broadway for Small. In according that rare honor, the board cited both his place as the district's first African-American superintendent and the leadership and single-minded focus he brought to educating children.

The keen focus has been apparent throughout his tenure as the chief administrator. In a city impatient with the district's poor academic rating, Small's first priorities as superintendent were to raise academic performance and to convince taxpayers that the district used its funds responsibly and was worth every dime it requested to run and also to rebuild the schools. He made bold pledges and worked closely with teams and coalitions inside and outside the school system, particularly with Mayor Don Plusquellic and City Hall, to fulfill them.

As he leaves the office, Small can check off the accomplishments of his staff and partners in the larger community. Akron has been out of Academic Emergency status the past three years. Student performance has improved steadily. New programs (including a new middle school for science, technology, engineering and math, the Early College High School and ProjectGRAD-Akron) promise more challenging academic options for students. The district is managing the most extensive school building project in the city's history.

As important to the district's success the past seven years has been Small's self-effacing modesty and insistence on keeping students at the center of every decision. He favored quiet consensus-building over dramatics. (True to character, he objected to the accolades Thursday by observing he would rather have dispensed with all the attention.)

Small is leaving a district that still faces big challenges. Enrollment is declining. As tightly as the district has managed its finances, a weak economy is putting new pressure on revenues. Higher standards and expectations will test the strength of the recent academic gains. Small's pledge to mentor his successor, David James, with an equal passion for students can help ease what promises to be a trying time.