After Erick Pruitt graduated from high school in Indianapolis, he joined the Marine Corps -- instead of going directly to college.
It gave him the opportunity to travel, which is one of his interests.
Pruitt, who was stationed in North Carolina, saw part of the world during his military service from 1991-98. He served overseas in the Mediterranean Sea aboard the USS Guam.
Along the way, Pruitt developed hobbies: fishing, playing tennis with his family and attempting to restore a 1965 Ford Mustang he inherited from his grandfather.
Another passion is education.
He says becoming superintendent of the Pulaski County Special School District would give him the opportunity to continue working on issues of equity, student achievement, school quality and district innovation.
Pruitt, 45, area superintendent of the Houston Independent School District in Texas, is one of three finalists scheduled to be interviewed Tuesday for the Pulaski County Special district superintendent's job.
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The Houston district has an enrollment of 214,175. As area superintendent, a position he has held since Dec. 1, 2016, Pruitt oversees 26,861 students, he said in a response to questions sent in an email from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
The Houston school district's website said Pruitt is in charge of the Achieve 180 program, a research-based action plan designed to support, strengthen and empower underserved schools.
Pruitt said he has been successful improving student achievement and navigating challenges -- not just in his current position but at his former jobs in the Chicago public school system.
Serving students in an urban district is demanding, he said, and every district has strengths and challenges requiring solutions to meet the needs of the community.
"I believe equity and innovation are vital to transform Pulaski County into a nationally recognized school district," he said.
Pruitt said he has been acquainting himself with the Pulaski County Special district on issues it faces, such as the ongoing school desegregation case, reorganizing four district high schools into schools of innovation and inter-district school choice.
He said if he is hired, he will be committed to listening and learning from the district's staff and community about the strengths and areas in need of improvement.
Goals he sets for the district, he said, "will be based on performance standards established by the board of education and collaborating with the district staff and community."
Pruitt has a good reputation in the Houston school district, Houston Federation of Teachers President Zeph Capo said. He said he didn't know Pruitt well but had a good and cordial working relationship with Pruitt on issues that have brought them together.
Pruitt has responded to the federation's concerns on various issues, Capo said, such as leadership concerns at some schools. He also has addressed security issues that had gone unresolved, Capo said.
Pruitt said he has also applied for the superintendent position of the Osseo Area Schools in Hennepin County, Minn., in the Minneapolis area. The district superintendent there, Kate Maguire, is retiring effective June 30, according to the district's website.
Osseo Area Schools is the fifth-largest school district in the state with about 20,000 students.
Pruitt and James Harris, superintendent of the Daniel Boone Area School District in Douglassville, Pa., who also is a finalist for the Pulaski County superintendent position, are scheduled to be interviewed Monday for the Osseo superintendent job, the district's website said.
Both were recruited for the Osseo job by Ray and Associates Inc., which also recruited them for the Pulaski County superintendent position.
Pruitt is not seeking the vacant Houston Independent School District superintendent's job, he said.
A native of Indianapolis, Pruitt and his wife, Kenya, have five children.
He served as school support officer in the Houston district from Aug. 1, 2014, until taking the position as area superintendent, according to the resume he submitted to the Pulaski County Special School District,
Pruitt was deputy chief of schools for 35 schools in the Chicago Public Schools from Oct. 17, 2011, to July 31, 2014, and was principal of Luke O'Toole Elementary School in Chicago from July 1, 2006, to Oct. 17, 2011.
He said in an email that during his tenure at Luke O'Toole Elementary, the school gained in student literacy and math performance by integrating technology into the curriculum, decreasing inappropriate student behavior, and improving school and community relationships.
Pruitt wrote that his career in education began in the Chicago Public Schools as a first-grade teacher at Woodlawn Community School.
After seven years in the classroom, he was selected to participate in the New Leaders principal preparation program, during which he worked with a mentor principal for one year before being offered the principal position at Luke O'Toole Elementary.
In 2005, Pruitt was a nominee for Chicago Area Alliance of Black School Educators Outstanding Teacher, he said. In 2003, he said he was named Purdue School of Education Distinguished Alumnus.
Pruitt earned his doctorate degree in educational leadership and Illinois superintendent endorsement from National-Louis University in Chicago in June 2014. He earned his master of education in educational administration and supervision, and Illinois administrator certificate from Loyola University-Chicago in May 2002. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in elementary education and Illinois teacher certificate from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., in May 1998, according to his resume.
Will Arkansas be his next stop?
A Section on 04/01/2018