I asked Mr. XXXX, What is your personal opinion about the districts vision?

His responses:

The vision statement for the district is, XXXX County Schools will be a welcoming
center of educational excellence committed to total student development utilizing datadriven, research-based strategies. The biggest part of this statement and what I am most

proud of focusing on is the welcoming aspect to our vision.

He explained that the focal point of his role as the director of schools has been to involve
all stakeholders including businesses and churches (community) and have them feel
welcome to work with our school district. Through these partnerships, he has desired to
help utilize them to create high expectations for success in our community beginning
with our schools. He wants to build a common school culture among all the schools in the
district, and he said that has to begin with changing our vision on how we, as educators,

view a students success.

He expressed that he believes all students can learn and achieve, but the way we measure
that achievement, grading policies, does not always show the growth the students make
while in school. He referred to his professional development activity of What is a
Grade? that he taught. Two students have an eighty average, but one student scored high
marks in the beginning and began to taper off resulting in an eighty. The other student
scored low marks in the beginning and progressed also resulting in an eighty. Which one

do you want to pack your parachute?

He said in order to live out the vision, we as a school, teacher, district have to be

deliberately excellent in our professional conduct and our instruction of students.

A big part of what Ive done [as director of schools] is to focus on the welcoming
aspect of the vision.