SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT to Logan County Board of Education:
In the several weeks since our last board meeting, I have remained busy building relationships with students, staff and community members. I’ve been with WKU President Gary Ransdell on two occasions, including a visit to LCHS where he met with guidance counselors and principals discussing College and Career Readiness. I met with the coaches at LCHS, shared my expectations and thanked them for the time and effort they spend building relationships and providing opportunities for our students.
I enjoyed lunch with our Migrant staff, local farmers Kim Coleman, Phil and Jan Holiday and several of their workers. It was very special to see the impact that Mayra Duncan and Aubrietta Woodall have on the educational development of these young men.
This year’s Leadership Logan cohort has met three times, including Agriculture Day and Tourism Day. There’s so much to offer in Logan County, and this opportunity will help me grow to understand all that our communities have to offer.
I have been with each principal at least twice since our last Board meeting. During those meetings, we worked together to develop their Professional Growth Plans, while also discussing what they’re doing to train our teachers on the new Danielson Framework for Teaching. We also worked to examine resources and strategies that can be used to improve the successful implementation of the Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (PGES).
I was invited to speak with the second grade students at Adairville. The topic was Careers in the Military, and I used the characteristics of duty, honor and country as a framework. I even gave a demonstration on how we bathed and brushed our teeth in the desert during Desert Storm. I made sure to clean up the water in Ms. Eblen’s room. The discussion was scheduled on the Friday before Labor Day Weekend, so we also discussed hamburgers, BBQ, swimming and visiting with family!
During Parent Night at Chandlers, I had my picture taken with the Bear and listened to a session delivered by assistant principal Robbie Davis on college and career readiness. The students and families in that session gained valuable insight on things they can do now to prepare.
Kathleen Bailey, a teacher from Olmstead, spent time with me sharing the details and experiences of the eighth grade trip to Land between the Lakes. Her enthusiasm was contagious and she inspired me to move forward on an initiative called the Superintendent Teen Task Force. The Superintendent Teen Task Force is comprised of eighth grade students representing each school who meet monthly to experience high impact, interactive student leadership training and to discuss issues relevant to students in Logan County. We will be selecting 6-8 students from each school to participate.
In an effort to get a clearer picture of the health of our school facilities, I asked architect Tony Thomas from Clotfelter/Samokar to join me and Ben Kemplin as we did a brief needs assessment at each school. Our visits generated a report that will be helpful as I work with the Board to address facility needs. I have also worked with two separate roofing vendors to get their assistance in creating a long-term roofing plan. With Jason Givens’ help, we also have new landscape at our Board Office.
After Data Day on Monday, Sept. 15, ten other staff members and I played a round of golf at Rolling Hills. It was a great time for fellowship, and a little competitive banter. I’m proud to say I was joined by Tate Hancock, Ethan Meguiar, and Adam Webster as the winners of a hard fought battle on the links. I look forward to more events like this in the future.
Fall Break will be a busy time for our Tech Staff as they deploy two computer labs at the high school, one lab at Chandlers, and several SmartBoards throughout the district. We should also begin to see the benefit of the “dark fiber” initiative which will result in Intranet speeds nearly 100 times faster than before. This will mostly impact programs like Scholastic and staff access to their Z-drives.
We have begun our Grow Your Own (GYO) program. The purpose of this program is to: promote leadership development and growth, build positive relationships among teachers and staff, foster the development of positive, professional learning communities, and improve the individual performance of staff in our schools.
For our Nov. 11 board meeting, we will meet with each SBDM Council. The Board and I look forward to a casual and collegial environment where real discussions on what schools need will be the focus.