Honoring Jeff Mayo: A Legacy of Leadership, Dedication, and Inspiration
Jeff Mayo, the Arlington Community Schools superintendent who recently stepped down from the district’s leadership role to battle with cancer, tragically passed away Monday, Aug. 26, the district announced.
“With heavy hearts, we share the sad news of the passing of our Superintendent, Mr. Jeff Mayo. Today, we learned from his family that Mr. Mayo lost his courageous battle with cancer,” the district wrote in a Facebook post. “As our entire district of employees, families and students begins to process this loss, we wanted to reach out to our school community as soon as we learned.
Earlier this month, Mayo shared with the district employees he had been diagnosed with melanoma that had spread to various parts of his body. When Mayo stepped down, Allison Clark, the district’s head of human resources, was named temporary superintendent on Aug. 14.
The reaction on social media to the district’s announcement was swift, with more than 150 people responding on Facebook within the hour. Many called it heartbreaking, and remembered him as a kind and considerate leader. Among the responders were board members from other districts, former colleagues of Mayo’s and parents.
Arlington Mayor Mike Wissman was a Shelby County Schools board member from 2008 until 2013, when Mayo worked for legacy Shelby County Schools. The two knew each other for about 16 years.
Wissman called him “a huge asset for the Town of Arlington and Arlington Community Schools.”
“I’ve had some good and memorable times with him whether it’s retreats or conferences,” Wissman said. “The work he has done for Arlington since day one helping establish the school system, (helped maintain it) as one of the top districts in the state.”
Ted Horrell, Lakeland superintendent, said he looked up to Mayo. He described him as a “smart, caring, committed, passionate educator.”
Jeff Mayo taking a selfie with students at Arlington High School.
He recalled Mayo attracted a high-quality caliber of teachers and helped them focus on the goal of doing the best for students.
“He was a forward-thinking, innovative superintendent. It’s very hard to think about not having him around,” he said.
Both Horrell and Russell Dyer, Collierville superintendent, said Mayo had a great sense of humor.
Mayo and Dyer are both from the Jackson, Tennessee, area. Mayo was Dyer’s 8th grade student teacher, early in his long education career. The two also worked together in the Human Resources office for legacy Shelby County Schools, where Mayo served until he was hired as Arlington’s chief of staff at the district’s inception.
Dyer said he was not only a colleague, but also a mentor and friend.
“He was very genuine,” Dyer said. “What you saw was what you got. You knew you were going to get genuine advice. … It’s a great loss for the field of education and personally from being a friend and mentor and colleague of mine for a number of years.”
Scott Benjamin, the Arlington school board chairman, issued a statement after the meeting where Mayo’s decision to step down was announced. Benjamin, at the time, outlined the need for the change in leadership and Clark’s new role.
“Mr. Mayo has made the difficult decision to step down from his superintendent duties until further notice to prioritize his recovery,” Benjamin said, pointing out that because ACS had a school board election Aug. 1, state law required the board to fill the vacancy on a temporary basis.
“This means we’ll need to revisit this topic by the end of September, either during our scheduled Sept. 24 board meeting or through another special called meeting,” he said in the statement.
Mayo had served as superintendent of Arlington Schools since April 2020, following the retirement of Tammy Mason. Before taking over the district’s leadership role, Mayo served as chief of staff from its inception in 2013 to 2020.
He began his career in education in 1988 as a teacher at Mt. Pisgah Elementary School before transitioning to administration in 1993, working as an assistant principal at Elmore Park Middle School and principal of E.E. Jeter Elementary School.
In 2000, he became human resources supervisor for legacy Shelby County Schools and then served as SCS director of human resources until 2013.
“Let’s come together to honor his remarkable life and the lasting legacy he leaves at Arlington Community Schools,” the district said in its Monday announcement.
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