About Phil

Choosing to leave a promising career at Taco Bell over artistic differences, Phil Downs began teaching in Fort Wayne Community Schools in 1989 where he taught social studies and language arts, and coached soccer for eleven years. In 2001 he moved to Northwest Allen County Schools where he was Assistant Principal at Maple Creek Middle School and opened Cedar Canyon Elementary in 2006 as its first Principal. He became the Assistant Superintendent of Southwest Allen County Schools in 2010 and its Superintendent in 2014. Phil is a proud Boilermaker, earning his Ph.D. from Purdue University in 2012. He has been married to Joleen since 1989 and they have two children. He will prattle on and on if you ask him about his hobbies.

EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Education Leadership
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Graduate School of Education
2012

Administrative Certification
Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne (now known as PFW)
1999

M.S. Education Administration
Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne (now known as PFW)
1996

B.S. Education
Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne (now known as PFW)
1989

B.A. History
Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne (now known as PFW)
1989

K-12 EXPERIENCE
2014-Present Superintendent—MSD Southwest Allen County

2010- 2014 Assistant Superintendent — MSD Southwest Allen County

2006-2010 Principal-Cedar Canyon Elementary — Northwest Allen County Schools

2001-2006 Assistant Principal/A.D.-Maple Creek Middle School— Northwest Allen County Schools

1989-2001 Teacher/Soccer Coach/Administrative Intern—Fort Wayne Community Schools

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
2020-present Comprehensive Center Network—Region 8 Board member

2020-present Purdue University EDST Advisory Board—Board Member

2020-present Anthony Wayne Foundation—Board Member

2018-present American Association of School Administrators—National Governing Board

2019-2022 AASA Education Administrative Scholarship Award Committee

2018-2019 Battelle For Kids—Problem of Practice Advisory Team

2017-present Friends of the Lincoln Collection—Board Member

2016-present EdLeader21—National Advisory Board

2014-present Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents—Member, current District 2 Chair

2014-present Indiana Region 8 Education Service Center—Advisory Board, past Chair

2014-present The Orthopedic Hospital—Board Member

2014-present Upper Wabash Superintendent Study Council—Member, past President

2010-2014 Allen County Education Partnership—Board member

2007-2020 SCAN (Stop Child Abuse and Neglect)—Board member, past Board President

2002-present Mike Downs Center for the Study of Indiana Politics at IPFW—Board President

AWARDS/GRANTS
Independent Colleges of Indiana “Realizing the Dream Award” 1995, sponsored by the Eli Lilly Foundation

Project Tomorrow Speak Up Shout Out National Superintendent of the Year 2016

Indiana Superintendent of the Year 2020

COLLEGE TEACHING EXPERINCE
Summer 1996: Lecturer, Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne (now known as PFW). Taught graduate level course EDUC H530 “Philosophy of Education”

PERSONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS/PRESENTATIONS
1996 March "Situations of oppression in the classroom: case studies," co-presented with Dr. Jon Parker and Dr. Steve Holtrop at Pedagogy of the Oppressed Conference, University of Nebraska-Omaha.

2012 Dissertation: The impact of school accountability laws on measures of trust between Indiana public school superintendents and teacher union leaders within the forum of mandatory discussion.

2017-present: “Don’t Worry, This Won’t Affect You: The Impact of Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program on the Funding of its Public Schools. Executive summary: https://drphildowns.com/node/37