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MCS announces Janice Adams as new Director of Diversity and Inclusion amid closing of Faulkner Academy

There will be an open meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 30, at Faulkner Academy, 1111 W. Second St., for families to ask questions and if they choose to enroll in Marion Community Schools.

Marion Community Schools has brought in Janice Adams to be the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the district.

In this service-leader role, Adams will develop and facilitate staff training, social-emotional, behavior and academic support services, and partnerships with the community to provide a positive, safe, healthy, supportive and inspiring learning environment that is culturally responsive to the needs of all students.

Adams has rejoined the school district as the charter school she has led for nine years has announced its closure.

Enrollment at Dr. Robert H. Faulkner Academy had fallen below a level that was sustainable, according to a statement from the charter school’s board announcing the closure, effective Aug. 1. Both the Faulkner Academy and Marion Community Schools view the move as an opportunity to work together and stand united for the common good of the city of Marion.

“With changes we have seen in recent years, we can confidently embrace Marion Community Schools to rally around a purpose that is greater than ourselves, which is to provide our students the very best learning opportunities possible,” the Faulkner Board said in a letter to families informing them of the decision to close the school.

Adams is not new to Marion Community Schools, having served previously as a home-school coordinator and a social worker within the school system, and she has increasingly collaborated with Marion Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Brad Lindsay over the past six years.

“The Faulkner Academy has proven for several years that the children of this community have the ability to rise and to meet the expectations for standards of excellence,” Adams said, noting that the Faulkner Academy was consistently one of the top-performing charter schools in the state of Indiana. “Under the leadership of Dr. Lindsay, Marion Community Schools is also raising the expectation to meet standards of world-class excellence. That is why we embrace Marion Community Schools at this time. We have the common goal of striving for the excellence we know is possible in this community and is needed in the world today. I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Marion in this new role with Marion Community Schools.”

Adams is working toward her master’s degree in education at Ball State University; she also holds a bachelor’s in business management from Texas A&M, and a master’s in social work from Indiana University. She was a professor of social work for more than 15 years at Indiana Wesleyan University and served as the director of the IWU Social Work Department. She also serves as a therapist with Family Service Society in Marion and has done so for nearly 30 years. She has also served for 35 years alongside her husband, the Rev. Carison L. Adams, who is the senior pastor for St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church here in Marion.

Dr. Lindsay noted that the Faulkner Academy has a legacy of excellence and service in this community, and some of our highest achieving students had their academic foundations laid there.

“I have known of Janice Adams through my father, Dr. Larry Lindsay of IWU, for 20 years; but I have known Janice and seen her in action the past six,” Dr. Lindsay said. “I respect and appreciate Janice Adams. She inspires me to do more and better for the children and families of Marion. During my time as superintendent of Marion Community Schools, I have chosen to increasingly learn from Janice, so I can better serve as an educational leader. I admire Janice for the person, educator, and servant leader that she is. Janice brings purpose-driven energy, and positive production follows her. She loves the children and people of Marion. She believes that the people of Marion are our city’s greatest resource, and she understands that the children of Marion are our future, therefore our most precious resource and most important community investment.”

Serving united to provide the best possible learning opportunities for all children is essential for our community, Lindsay added.

“Janice understands that healthy relationships and cultural sensitivity, combined with a spirit and commitment to excellence, is what unites people and communities,” Lindsay said. “I admire what the Faulkner Academy stood for and accomplished, and I am grateful to join forces to multiply the excellent work we are producing here in Marion Community Schools. The time is now to unite our city. High quality education for all is the vehicle out of poverty and is the economic engine that will transform the people and community of Marion! Raising the expectation and standard of excellence is essential to grow thriving families and community and to make a significant contribution to others throughout our world.”

According to an MCS press release, the district welcomes and is working closely with Faulkner families who choose to enroll in its schools and establish a pathway for total-child education success. Faulkner Academy teachers past and present such as Markita Coleman, Paul Getts, Ashley Scales and others, are now serving children in Marion Community Schools.

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