When Mississippi School Boards Association director Dr. Michael Waldrop asked McComb school officials what their goal for the district was, the answer was pretty much unanimous — be among the best school districts in the state.
Waldrop spoke to school trustees on Tuesday, giving them guidance in the transition with new school superintendent Dr. Cederick Ellis.
Asked what she wanted to get out of the session, board member Lynn Gilmore said she hoped all trustees would be on the same page and lead the district in the right direction.
Trustee Susan Hedges hoped for a continued smooth transition as Ellis leads the district — a job he has held since July 1.
Trustee Eliece Rayborn said she wanted the board members to have the same goals and be clear about what roles they play.
Board chairman Chris Richardson agreed with the others.
But longtime trustee Maurice Chester said he wants to make sure board members stay focused and know their place in the operation of the school district — especially by staying out of administrative dealings.
“When I came on the board 20 years ago, I got a book called ‘School Board 101.’ It told us things we ought not be doing,” Chester said, adding that trustees need to let their superintendent do his job.
Board attorney Ashley Atkinson said, “Dr. Ellis set lofty goals for the district and it’s the board’s function to set policy to help him do his job.”
To that end, Waldrop said the McComb school board has “the opportunity in really getting it right.”
Where even the best of board plans break down is when there is blurring of lines between administrative and governance of the district.
“To be the best starts with y’all asking, ‘How are we going to get there?’ ” Waldrop said. “It all starts with a vision.”
He said getting to the “A” district goal depends on “how you focus as a board.”
Waldrop said that when city officials and community members criticize the district’s student performance, what they really want is proof.
“The board must focus. Is the plan working? Show me the data,” he said. “Community engagement is huge, and it has a place in your overall plan. But it all goes back to goals.”
Some of the goals the board mentioned included reducing the rate of teacher turnover, bringing graduation rates up, making sure students are showing up for school and monitoring their performance levels. Waldrop said when the goals are in place, the board should focus on end results and focus on indicataors. If a school principal or teacher is not performing to expected standards, ask, “Why not?” and “What are you going to do about it?”
The board should do its governance work by asking the right questions. And he said the superintendent should not micromanage the principals.
“Put the responsibility back where it belongs,” Waldrop said.
When inferior teachers and administrators are held to a high standard, they’ll generally end up leaving the district, he said. Waldrop advised the board to establish criteria, making sure they get good feedback on progress, with numbers from more than one year’s progress.
“The single biggest move is getting students out of the red,” he said. “Those are the ones failing, the dropouts. They’re the ones who’ll be in prison. Don’t let the progress reports fall the cracks. Keep your fingers on the pulse and monitor all the time.”
He said the board should jump right into its governance work. “The stakes are too high to wait till the end of the year.”
And he encouraged trustees to reach out to city leaders who may have their doubts about the capability of the McComb School District.
“You need to develop real positive relationships with city leaders,” he said, noting they should get updates about how the school district is performing. “Get them in your corner, and what y’all are doing is going to get easier.”
But Waldrop also offered a word of caution.
“Focus on the core things, then expand out. Don’t overwhelm yourselves immediately.”
And he advised the board to expect some pushback from staff when the district expects more from them.
“There have got to be some changes, but once (everything) is in place, you’ll see morale soar,” Waldrop said. “You’ve got to structure properly and you’ve got to be dead serious about it. Don’t maintain the status quo.”
