Women’s History Month: Dr. La’Quetta Small Forges Ahead to Lead Atlantic City Schools
Photo of Dr. La'Quetta Small courtesy of Atlantic City Schools
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BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
ATLANTIC CITY – While she is Atlantic City’s “First Lady,” the wife of Mayor Marty Small Sr., some tend to overlook key facts about Dr. La’Quetta S. Small — that she is the history?making first Black female to lead Atlantic City Schools, rising through the ranks as a teacher and principal over more than two decades.
That kind of public spotlight can bring all sorts of attention, especially when raising a family. Small saw her efforts as a mother play out in public — and in the courtroom — for nearly two years after being accused, along with her husband, of child abuse involving her daughter.
After a dramatic raid of their home by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office and a criminal trial for her husband — where he was found not guilty on all charges — prosecutors dropped the charges against her in January.
READ: Mayor Marty Small Sr. Ready to Move Forward After Trial
In an interview with FrontRunnerNewJersey.com, Small said the situation left her more mindful of her surroundings but also grateful for the people — including the Atlantic City Board of Education — who faithfully stood by her throughout the process.
“Sitting in the courtroom listening to recordings of me redirecting my daughter and being criminally charged for such acts is absurd,” Small said of the secretly recorded tapes that became the linchpin of the prosecutor’s case. The jury in Mayor Small’s case found nothing criminal in those interactions between the Smalls and their daughter.
“It taught me that assume that you are always being recorded. I believed that in the workplace, but never imagined that would happen in my home. This ordeal has heightened my sense of awareness of people and my daily interactions while at work and in the community.”
During the nearly two years it took for the legal system to play itself out, Small said she simply went to work and fought hard to make Atlantic City Schools better. The local school board ignored calls to remove or suspend her.
“I am humbled and most appreciative that the Atlantic City Board of Education believed in me and had faith that justice would prevail,” Small said. “I am certain that there was public pressure to relieve me of my duties until the final disposition of the charges. However, I was allowed to remain as superintendent, which I do not take for granted.”
Today, a month removed from the dropped charges, Small said she is concentrating on some of the challenges most urban school districts face. She said she has a laser?focused plan to tackle them.
“Chronic absenteeism and Atlantic City High School retention are two major challenges facing our school district,” Small said. “We are using a data-driven approach to foster relationships to engage our students and families. I believe that students who feel connected to school attend at a higher daily rate.
“It is important that we offer welcoming and inclusive school climates to encourage students to attend school daily. Each of the eleven schools offer unique programming and activities to maintain student interest.”
Small said Atlantic City High School has a competitive and robust curriculum in addition to dual?credit courses that allow students to earn college credits while still in high school.
“Atlantic City High School offers TV and Radio broadcasting, Culinary Arts, Cybersecurity, JROTC (Naval Science), Computer Science, Clothing and Textiles (Fashion) and a Public Safety Academy where students have the opportunity to pursue careers in Fire, Police, Beach Patrol and EMT,” she said. “These are offerings in addition to our robust academic curriculum.”
Assisting Small at the high school will be principal and friend Dr. Constance “Mandy” Days?Chapman, who was also charged in relation to the Smalls’ case but had all charges dropped. Days?Chapman was suspended but returned to her duties in January.
“Dr. Constance Days-Chapman is a person who believes in our education system, who is a product of our education system and she is definitely where she belongs. She is a respected community leader and dedicated school administrator who has the best interest of students, staff and the community,” Small said.
“I am thankful that she was able to return to her position as Atlantic City High School principal. Dr. Chapman embodies Viking Pride! Viking Strong!”
Small said she wants all Atlantic City students to leave high school with the critical?thinking skills they need to successfully navigate adulthood.
“The importance of collaboration is also essential as graduates will most likely have to work with members of society who may have different views in life,” Small said. “I am certain that most parents have a desire for their children to be productive members of society while acquiring skills to allow them to elevate to the next level.
“I am a product of the Newark Public School system and I believe in public education. Both my children attended elementary school in Atlantic City and now attend Atlantic City High School. My daughter Jada, 18, is a senior and my son Marty Jr., 15, is a sophomore. He will be 16 on March 8th.”
Small said that while she had an interest in becoming an administrator, she felt she needed to establish herself in the classroom first, allowing her to be most effective in her current role as superintendent.
“When I finished my master’s degree from Kean [University] in 2003, my then boyfriend, Marty Small, was a member of the Atlantic City Board of Education,” Small said. “He asked me if I wanted to pursue an administrative career at the time. “Although I had the credentials, I decided not to become a vice-principal because it was important for me to learn about the district and establish myself as a distinguished educator before I became a school leader.
“This was one of the best decisions that I have made. Marty and I watched each other grow and develop personally and professionally over the years. We are both public servants who value our community and believe that through hard work, professionalism and tenacity, goals can be attained.”
Small served as a fourth?grade teacher at New Jersey Avenue School after teaching in her hometown of Newark. She later became assistant principal at Uptown School Complex, acting principal at Uptown School Complex, and principal at Pennsylvania Avenue School.
She was principal at Atlantic City High School before beginning her term as superintendent in 2022.
Small’s community roots run deep as a member of the Atlantic City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; the Atlantic City Alumnae Chapter, National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. (Iota Chapter); The Links, Incorporated, Atlantic City Chapter; the Atlantic City Community Fund; the Epicurean Society of Southern New Jersey; and Second Baptist Church.
While negative perceptions can be hard to shake, Small said Atlantic City Schools have been telling their own story to the community.
“Our school district has a district communications specialist, Mark Tyler, who is responsible for promoting and highlighting school district activities and initiatives,” Small said. “We are fortunate to have the ability to create our own narrative. I do not entertain or consume myself with negativity.
“I focus on the positive accomplishments of our school district and reflect on areas that need to improve. I am proud of our district, students and staff. We have demonstrated the ability to compete globally in many facets of education. I look forward to recognizing our district staff during our Spring Convocation on March 27.”
Small said even with her hard work with parents as an educator and community advocate, the raid on her home in April 2024 was “a tough pill to swallow.”
“The public scrutiny and media persecution would lead someone to believe that I was a criminal and an abusive parent,” Small said of that day. “I often relive the day exiting my home while being confronted with rifles and battering rams by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, as if I were a criminal.
“I was born and raised in Newark and have witnessed, firsthand, drug raids, gun violence and other criminal acts. At a young age, I made a conscious decision to choose a different path by focusing on my education, ultimately becoming valedictorian at Central High School and receiving a full Presidential Scholarship to attend Stockton College.
“Years later, to learn that I am criminally charged and indicted was a tough pill to swallow for me and my family, especially since I was the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college. It was tough for my friends and family to see me in the news every day because they knew I always avoided trouble.”
Small thanked her husband for “exhibiting great strength” through the legal process and trial.
“Due to his compelling detail of events, the jury saw that this was a family matter that should not have been in criminal court,” Small said. “It feels great to know that this chapter is behind me.”
La’Quetta Small, who has won numerous awards for her work in the community and in education, said she is excited about the future and dedicated to moving Atlantic City Schools forward.
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