Art McCoy, Ph.D.
A trailblazing educator, entrepreneur, superintendent, CEO, consultant compassionately enlightening, empowering, engaging people
“Equity is meeting needs at the speed of the need.”
“Educating as if our life, legacy, and liberty depend on it because they do.”
Art McCoy, Ph.D., is an inspiring, internationally recognized educator and champion of children.
At age 19, he began his career as a mathematics teacher in the Rockwood School District after graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science, reportedly as the youngest certified teacher in Missouri.
After receiving a Doctor of Philosophy, he was named Pattonville’s K-12 Gifted Director at age 25. In December 2010, Dr. McCoy became the youngest and first African-American Superintendent/C.E.O. of Ferguson-Florissant School District at age 33 and a leader for Harvard’s Pathways to Prosperity.
From 2014 to 2016, he served as the Superintendent-in-Residence/Chief Academic Officer of the MIND Research Institute and the Center for Education Innovation/Base 11 in Irvine, California, supporting over 1 million students 2500 schools and colleges across America. In February of 2016, he was recruited to return home and named Superintendent in Jennings School District. Under Dr. McCoy’s leadership, multiple graduating Jennings class achieved 100% graduation, career, and college placement as featured on Fox 2 and CNN.
In 2019, Jennings School District made history by performing at the “Accredited with Distinction” range. For the first time in Missouri, a district with over 90% of students on free meals achieved over 90% on the Missouri A.P.R./accreditation. Under his leadership, Jennings is the only school district in the state of Missouri to create and operate:
- Two school-based clinics for all medical and mental health student needs,
- Two homeless shelters to reduce homelessness called Hope House I & II,
- Two grocery store food hubs--the J Town Market and Fairview Food Hub,
- Centers for Healing Engagement and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, and more.
Jennings was the only district in all of St. Louis to resume in-person schooling in July 2020 during COVID-19 successfully with zero cases of student transmission to date. Since March of 2020, Dr. McCoy has served as a leader among leaders empowering others locally, statewide as a member of the Governor’s COVID-19 Council, nationally and internally for school reopening advising Dubai, Canadian, other education leaders and officials.
Dr. McCoy has served on over 30 executive boards and councils, including the M.U.N.Y., Sheldon, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Commerce Bank Business Board, Ranken Technical College, University of Missouri-St. Louis Chancellor’s Council, and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce 2030 Alliance. Dr. McCoy is a two-time N.A.C.C.P. Inspiring St. Louisan, 2017 PBS American Graduate Champion, 2018 UNCF Keeping the Flame Awardee, 2020 Honorary Firefighter of the Riverview Fire District, and more. Dr. McCoy leads and inspired scores of innovative initiatives, raised more than 15 million dollars, authored articles and books, and founded S.A.G.E.S. L.L.C. and 501c3, with the mission to “Sever Attainment Gaps Existing in Society.”