January 11, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
January 20-26, 2019 is School Board Appreciation Week in Tennessee. This week helps build awareness and understanding of the vital functions our locally elected boards of education play in our community. The DeKalb County School District is joining public school districts from across the state to celebrate School Board Appreciation Week and honor local board members for their commitment to DeKalb County and its children.
(Video shows DCHS Principal Randy Jennings addressing the school board Thursday night)
“I along with our staff want to thank you for the work you do and for the time you put in. We meet once a month but the community may not know that you often have to take phone calls late at night and throughout the week. We do appreciate your time that you dedicate to our students and the decisions and suggestions you make for students to better our school district and our community,” said Director of Schools Patrick Cripps during Thursday night’s regular monthly Board of Education meeting.
“Our school system is the backbone of our community, and these men and women devote countless hours to making sure our schools are helping every child,” Cripps said. “There is no greater honor that can be bestowed upon a citizen than membership on a local board of education. They spend countless hours studying the issues and regulations and make the tough decisions when called upon to ensure the type of accountability people expect.”
Cripps said the key work of school boards is to:
•Create a vision for what the community wants the school district to be and for making student achievement the top priority;
•Establish standards for what students will be expected to learn and be able to do;
•Ensure progress is measured to be sure the district’s goals are achieved and students are learning at expected levels;
•Create a safe, orderly climate where students can learn and teachers can teach;
•Form partnerships with others in the community to solve common problems; and
•Focus attention on the need for continuous improvement by questioning, refining and revising issues related to student achievement.
“Our local school board shapes the future of education in DeKalb County by influencing the high-quality of education that our children and youth receive. The DeKalb County school board shows its commitment to educational excellence and equity – and for that we are very grateful for their attitude of service.”
The members serving our district and their years of service are as follows: Danny Parkerson in the 1st district, Alan Hayes in the 2nd district, Jim Beshearse in the 3rd district, Kate Miller in the 4th district, W.J. (Dub) Evins, III in the 5th district, Doug Stephens in the 6th district, and Shaun Tubbs in the 7th district.