Imagine your son or daughter coming home with a failing grade on a report card.
And then one year later, that child came home with a B.
Now, imagine an entire high school showing the same improvement.
How did that happen? It took a new superintendent who arrived two years ago to lead a school system that needed major help academically, while nearly one-third of the facilities were a century old.
It helped that Michele McClung is a former math teacher and was familiar with what teachers needed to help students succeed.
Hitting the ground running as she headed the 12 schools in the Escambia County, Alabama, school system, she used her classroom experience to equip teachers with the latest resources to make their jobs easier, while also improving students’ chances for success.
However, her plan wasn’t about throwing money at the problem, as she focused on improving the morale of teachers and employees and visited schools regularly. At the end of her first year, she hosted a formal red-carpet event and gave out awards for everything from the best principal to the top bus driver. Her philosophy of valuing the contributions of every single employee worked its way down into the classroom. Kids at one school who read the most books walked a red carpet and enjoyed a party. (Not everyone gets a trophy.)
Meanwhile, after a decade in which the system hadn’t even bothered to nominate anyone for the state teacher of the year award (which didn’t cost anything), Ms. McClung made sure to submit applications from each school.
She believes that fixing education starts with people.
“There’s nothing more important in today’s society than providing a safe, caring, and engaging environment for students to learn. It’s my job to lift up our employees, celebrate improvement, and lead the way no matter the challenges we face. Money can’t fix the problems we see in education today. Quality employees who are committed to students make the difference.”
But that school turnaround is what has everyone talking. W.S. Neal High School in the small town of East Brewton, Alabama, had been designated a “failing school” by scoring in the bottom 6 percent in the state. In a county where only 12 percent of residents have college degrees and the per capita income is less than $20,000, the school had a lot to overcome.
Fortunately, the staff and student body are rich in pride. They embraced Ms. McClung’s ideas to incorporate ACT practice daily and made a huge academic leap.
What else changed? Ms. McClung has installed a state-of-the-art security system in every school; the “StreamVu” television program lets students do the daily announcements on camera; a technology “help desk” was created to instantly assist teachers who have issues during the school day, manned by computer-savvy students in the newly formed IT academy; websites were overhauled so parents could check on their children’s progress; and a bunch of signs magically appeared in the front yards of students to honor them for being in the top 10 in their class and for other academic achievements.
In addition, a $900,000 grant will fund ACT training for teachers and students, summer camps for students in cybersecurity and robotics, advanced placement programs to prep for college, tuition for teachers, and virtual reality systems for career trade classes.
The annual “teacher institute” before the first day of school had often been a mind-numbing list of bureaucratic directives for teachers; now, it’s a pep rally with bands and cheerleaders. This year, the real “Coach Carter” gave the keynote speech that fired up everyone.
Teamwork is the hallmark of Ms. McClung’s philosophy. Her slogan “We Are One” has teachers and administrators rowing in the same direction. Some teachers had never met their counterparts from other schools; now, there’s a sense of family and authentic collaboration, in which teachers have created viable pacing guides digitized in a calendar.
School board member Mike Edwards has noticed a tremendous change since Ms. McClung took the helm.
“The system was dysfunctional before she arrived. She’s inspiring teachers to do more than just their jobs. Her enthusiasm and that of her staff has trickled down into the system. It’s the main reason for her success.”
W.S. Neal Principal Todd Williamson was reluctant to take credit for his school’s huge improvement.
“I’m just part of the team. We’ve made some changes that get teachers excited, and your teachers set the tone in the classroom. Enthusiasm is contagious. When a kid wants to do better, you’ve won half the battle. I think we have the best staff we’ve ever had. It’s from the top down.”
Ms. McClung isn’t looking for credit and considers herself a part of the team. While she’s thrilled with the progress, she notes that there’s still work to be done.
“We’re trying to stay steps ahead of state mandates by providing extra support to our teachers and staff, quality programs that engage our students and ongoing professional development, because continuous improvement should always be a priority.”
Is common sense the secret of turning around a school system? Simply giving teachers what they need, creating a culture of family, and letting every employee know they’re appreciated? And why can’t this happen in your community?
Congress is famous for throwing money at education, and it hasn’t worked. Sometimes, people forget that the Department of Education has only been around since 1979, and that schools did just fine before President Jimmy Carter created the massive bureaucracy. Directives from bureaucrats who have no actual education experience or aren’t actively involved in education make no sense.
Ms. McClung proves that when decisions are left to those who actually work in the schools, students have a better chance of success. Maybe Neal High School’s next grade will be an A.
