WRIGHT: Let’s build together

Published 8:00 am Saturday, August 31, 2024

A new school year is upon us, and for me, this time of year is always filled with excitement, energy, optimism, and hope. I felt that way as a student in Murray County Schools way back in the last century (as the kids now like to remind me), and I feel that way now as I step into my new role as the superintendent of Murray County Schools. I am eager to serve alongside our district and school administrators and our teachers and staff members in each of our 12 school buildings to help make this school year a success.

Each year, I like to have a word that keeps me focused on my big-picture goals for the year, and this year my word is “build.” For me, success in 2024-2025 is building upon the growth and achievements that our students have made academically, artistically and athletically while working to build trust with our school staff members, students, parents and the community at large so we can all support our students.

How do we accomplish these goals and achieve success this school year? We must do it together.

Teamwork and collaboration are at the heart of what it means to be an educator and a student. Teachers must work together to share ideas and strategies that help students learn. Students learn best when they are open to sharing their thoughts and energy with their classmates so they can learn from each other. Schools must work together with parents and community members to fully support the work that goes on with our students each day. A spirit of teamwork is vital if we want to see our students grow and reach their potential, and the good news is, we have a great team of teachers and administrators all around our system who want to work together to make a difference in the lives of children.

I have always believed education has to be more than a job or even a career. It has to be a calling. It is most definitely a ministry. The best educators view their work through this lens, and they strive to build relationships with their students so they can better understand where they are coming from before they begin casting the vision of where they can go. The best educators believe in their students, knowing they can do whatever they put their minds to. They can learn that concept. They can master that standard. They can achieve more than they ever thought possible, even when it might have seemed impossible. My favorite teachers believed that about me even when I might not have believed it about myself. The best educators do, and I know we have buildings full of these types of educators in our system.

I also believe that education encompasses much more than what happens in our school buildings. The best outcomes for students occur when our teachers and our parents have a strong relationship, a shared trust and are on the same page regarding how to best help students. As a teacher and school administrator, I have explained to many parents that they are the experts on their children. Parents know their children better than anyone. When teachers collaborate with our families, we can take the knowledge possessed by the teachers about content and pedagogy and mix it with what the parents know about their children to help us create an environment that is welcoming, trusting, nurturing, and challenging. This type of environment is where students can thrive and grow.

The challenge for our district is how we best create that type of environment. It is no secret that our district, along with all school districts, faces many challenges in 2024. There are certainly financial challenges that lie ahead. We will meet those challenges head-on and continue to make decisions in the best interest of our students and staff while being good stewards of the funds we are given.

There are mental health challenges that we face as we continue to feel the impact of the last few years on our students and our teachers. We are working hard to address these challenges with system resources and other local resources.

However, I believe the biggest challenge we face is working to engage our students and help them learn while competing with other things for their attention and attendance. Our students are bombarded with things each day that can make literacy, math, history and science fall down their lists of priorities. Cell phones and social media are the obvious distractors, but having raised three children of my own, I know how many other things also compete for their attention, even good, positive things.

Creating a learning environment that is conducive to growth requires so much of our teachers, and it is incumbent upon us all to support the work going on in our classrooms each day so that our students see the value in the content they are learning each day. When they see that value, they will be eager to be at school each day. When they are at school and focused, we can help them learn and grow.

As an educator and as a man whose faith drives my values, I feel that my highest duty is to serve. In my classrooms, I served my students and their families. As a principal, I worked to serve the teachers in my building so we could together serve our students and families. As superintendent, it is my pleasure to continue serving, whether it is supporting our district and school-level leaders, working to provide teachers with the resources they need or meeting with parents and community partners to strengthen relationships.

All of these things are vital to support our students. Please know that each decision we make is guided by the idea of doing what is best for our kids. We may not always agree on every decision made, but please know the intent will always be to support our students and our staff. My prayer for our students is for them to have the same positive experiences I had in Murray County Schools. I want them to leave our high schools prepared and optimistic for the future that lies ahead of them, in whatever avenue they choose. I am excited about 2024-2025 because I believe we can build on the positive things we have going on all around our county and help our students grow in ways they didn’t think possible. Let’s make it our goal to build together and make 2024-2025 the best it can be for our students.

Tim Wright is superintendent of Murray County Schools.