School board greets new Superintendent

Haywood County School Board members welcomed the system’s new superintendent, Marlon King, at their monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 13. There was a light agenda that included several budget amendments and a recommendation from TSBA for changes to the policy manual. Both measures were approved, and board members agreed to begin the application process to earn the TSBA Board of Distinction designation. The board has held this designation for many years. Superintendent King will host a retreat with board members on January 16 in Jackson.

Superintendent King addresses staff and community

Haywood County Schools new Superintendent Marlon King took the reins of the local schools Monday morning, January 5, with a speech to all school employees, local leaders and a crowd of community members in the Haywood High School gymnasium. His message and motto were clear: “Every child, every teacher, every community, deserves excellence.”

Superintendent King, who is a native of Brownsville, began by saying that he is proud of his hometown schools, and thanked those who preceded him in making the system what it is today. He also expressed his appreciation for being selected to lead the schools in Haywood County.

He extended thanks to the community for its support. “I am overwhelmingly honored to be among my school family, friends and supporters, and most of all, to be able to lead the district where I received my elementary and secondary education,” King said to the large crowd gathered at the gymnasium. “Many of you know me,” he continued, “and know what I advocate – Children First.”

He then presented a brief summary of the Haywood County Schools scores on the State Report Card. In Grades 3-8 the academic achievement grades were: math – A, reading/language – A, social studies – B, and science – B. In grades 5 and 8 the TCAP writing grades were both A’s, and in grade 11, the TCAP writing grade was also an A.The Academic ACT Achievement was a composite score of 18.7. All these scores were based on a 3-year average.

Grades K-8 had a 95 percent attendance rate and a 97.8 promotion rate, both above the state’s goals in those categories. In grades 9-12, the attendance rate was 94.3, above the state goal of 93. The dropout rate was 17.1 percent, seven points above the state goal, and the graduation rate is 73.5 percent, below the state’s goal of 90 percent.

Overall on the Federal Report Card, Haywood County grades 9-12 scored 86 in language arts (benchmark 93) and 90 in mathematics (benchmark 83), and in grades K-8, local student scored 88 (benchmark 89) and 85 (benchmark 86) in language arts and mathematics, consecutively.

Mr. King outlined four management strategies that he will employ to achieve the expected benchmarks:

1. We will make decisions in the best interest of children/students.
2. We will not tolerate any action or circumstance that belittles any individual.
3. We will not grant tenure or permanent appointment to any individual who does not demonstrate excellence.
4. We will seek to understand and involve all stakeholders.

He then carefully laid out his first 100 days with his plans to launch Campaign Live – Listening, Investigating, Visiting and Engaging.

King outlined his 100-Day Entry Plan that has five major goals. They are:

1. To develop and ensure successful district reform governance through effective and positive Board Commissioners/Director of Schools relations;
2. To examine the district’s demographics and improve public trust, commitment, and confidence through open, honest communication and responsive corrective action to identified obstacles to improving student achievement and conditions of teaching and learning;
3. To establish a strong professional relationship with district senior staff and school principals, create a supportive system for recruiting and retaining certificated and/or highly qualified personnel, and identify challenges for school improvement;
4. To familiarize myself with the academic, operations, and support services that currently exist and to address student achievement, safety measures, discipline and opportunities to compete globally; and
5. To increase organizational efficacy and efficiency in addition to creating a supportive, positive, and results-oriented climate and culture for the district.

Then he outlined his immediate priorities:

1. Haywood High School – Instructional processes: English Department (writing preparation), special education, and ACT preparation/rigorous instruction. Operational processes: Alternative School, student supervision, in-school suspension, extra-curricular activities and Thursday school. Teacher-student relationships in all schools
2. Haywood Academic and Justice Academy – Instruction processes: teacher quality, level of instruction. Operation processes: student intervention (suspension, drop-out, transition)
3. Special Education Department – Inclusion – level of instruction, referral process
4. TCAP Writing Assessment and TCAP Achievement Test Preparation – observe all teachers’ TCAP Achievement Test results, patterns, and trends
5. Parental and Community Involvement Initiatives – All schools

A part of that campaign will be his commitment to frequently visit every school. “I plan to speak with everyone in the building about his/her mission,” King said. “I want to know why you are working for Haywood County Schools.”

On the dais with Superintendent King were school board members Harold Garrett and Robbie Jarrett-King, City Mayor Webb Banks, County Mayor Franklin Smith, Stanton Mayor Allan Sterbinsky, Rev. Rickey Reed, Rev. Eddie Martin, who each spoke during the program, and other school board members Pearlie Hess, Daniel Thornton and Allen Currie.

A large crowd also visited with the new superintendent at a reception held in his honor that evening at the College Hill Center.

For more information regarding Haywood County Schools, check out the website at www.haywoodcountyschools.com .