‘Servant leader’ Aaron Davidson new leader of Clear Creek Amana schools

OXFORD — New Clear Creek Amana schools Superintendent Aaron Davidson has 12 “core beliefs of leadership” that drive his decisions.

Davidson, 48, spent the last six years fine-tuning a dozen statements gleaned from books he’s read on leadership.

He’s sharing his core beliefs with staff in his new district, so they have a “clear understanding of what’s driving” his decision making, he said.

Those core beliefs of leadership include:

Davidson considers himself a “servant leader,” which to him means ensuring others have everything they need to thrive, “so they can do the daunting and most important work” of teaching kids, he said.

He embarked on district leadership after what he considered his “dream job” at the time of serving as principal of Fort Dodge Middle School in north-central Iowa.

Two years ago, he was asked by Josh Porter, superintendent of the Fort Dodge Community School District, to be his second in command as executive director of educational services.

He took the job on a “leap of faith,” Davidson said.

While pursuing his superintendent’s license, Davidson said he found district administration to be “awesome.”

“I love establishing culture and climate and setting expectations,” Davidson said.

Davidson will be the first to admit he’s green when it comes to district leadership, but the Clear Creek Amana school board chose him from among three finalists for the job.

“I wouldn’t have applied for the job if I didn’t think I was ready because the work is too important,” Davidson said.

Now in the Clear Creek Amana district, Davidson said he wants to lead “efficiently and with transparency.”

Facilities a draw for Davidson

Davidson can’t point to a pivotal moment that led him to his “calling” as an educator. He had an “awesome” experience as a kid at St. Edmund Catholic School in Fort Dodge, he said. He wanted to make an “impact” on students.

Davidson, who started his new role July 1, said facilities are part of what drew him to Clear Creek Amana.

“Our facilities are something to be proud of. I think that’s definitely something to hang our hats on, especially in a time where families have a choice, and they’re actively looking for how they can best give their kids what they need,” Davidson said.

He said he wants to continue Clear Creek Amana’s reputation as a “destination district.”

Clear Creek Amana voters in March 2022 approved a $65 million bond referendum that funded construction of East Ridge Elementary School, which opened in Coralville in August 2024. Other projects under the bond include additions and improvements to existing middle and high school facilities.

The school district won’t have bonding capacity for the “foreseeable future” after voters approved the $65 million bond three years ago, Maury Gallagher, building and grounds director for the district, told The Gazette in September 2024.

Working to maintain that ‘small-town feel’

After only three weeks in the district, Davidson said he’s “learned quickly” families appreciate the “small-town feel.”

“As we continue to grow, it’s going to get more challenging to keep that feel. It doesn’t mean it’s not possible. We’re just going to have to be a lot more purposeful,” he said.

Tom Daniels, principal at Clear Creek Amana High School, has known Davidson professionally for almost two decades. They started as teachers together in Fort Dodge. Davidson was an assistant basketball coach to Daniels as head coach.

Daniels was a teacher and later an assistant principal and dean of students at Fort Dodge Middle School while Davidson was principal there.

“He’s not a top-down leader giving directives without support,” Daniels said. “He has a vision … He values people and relationships and does not see that as disposable … He doesn’t just say family matters. He puts family first. He models that and expects everyone to follow that model. He does a really good job of walking the walk.”

Josh Porter, superintendent of the Fort Dodge Community School District, said Davidson is “extremely loyal.”

Davidson is “a guy of really high character, high moral values. He’s not afraid to have tough conversations. Being a leader in a school is a really tough job,” Porter said.

“I don’t think he would have left us for anybody else,” Porter said. “He landed a really good job … If he doesn’t know the answer, he’s going to go out and find it.”

There are more than 3,000 students in the district across nine schools in five communities — Tiffin, Oxford, Amana Colonies and the western edges of Coralville and North Liberty.

Davidson, who lives in Tiffin, has three adult children pursuing higher education in Eastern Iowa. He describes himself as “a family first guy.”

“My wife and I am super excited to be here,” Davidson said.

Davidson’s salary as superintendent at Clear Creek Amana is $205,000 with benefits.

He previously worked as a preschool through sixth-grade principal in the Pocahontas Community School District and has been a health, social studies and science teacher and coached baseball, basketball and football.

He replaces Corey Seymour, who began July 1 as the Iowa Department of Education’s new School Improvement bureau chief.

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com