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photo by Marcus Frazier
Hank Bounds, superintendent of education for Mississippi, describes a level of achievement that schools should meet during a Committee for Better Public Schools meeting at the City Council Chambers Thursday afternoon. The committee invited Bounds to speak.
Bounds stresses community involvement
Published Friday, May 9, 2008
NATCHEZ — On Thursday evening State Superintendent Hank Bounds, addressed the Committee for Better Public Schools and various community members stressing the need for community involvement in public schools.
Months ago the committee called for the resignation of Natchez-Adams Superintendent Anthony Morris.
While much of Bounds’ address avoided the topic of the committee’s request for Morris’ resignation he did speak briefly on the matter.
Bounds said he was aware of the committee’s desires and added “I would never be a part of that.”
In fact Bounds spoke in Morris’ defense.
“He wants to move the needle on student performance,” he said.
Bounds also said he voiced concerns to the committee about having the meeting at a time that conflicted with the school board’s meeting on the same night.
However committee member Michael Winn said the meeting was called at a time determined by Bounds’ schedule.
“He’s very busy,” he said.
Bounds said had school board members and the superintendent been able to attend the meeting, he felt the meeting would have had a “richer dialogue.”
Aside from conversation dealing with the current administration, Bounds mostly spoke about the importance of community involvement as a means to improve the quality of public schools in the area.
“It really isn’t rocket science,” he said of improving public schools.
Bounds said high quality principals and teachers are key components of high functioning school systems.
Bounds linked the teachers and principals to student performance and their ability to attain success later in life.
Bounds also stressed a need for highly proficient readers by the third grade.
Bounds also took time to answer questions from the approximately 35 audience members in attendance.
Winn, after the meeting, said he realized a need to further meet with Morris and find ways that parents can aid the district in school improvements.
“As parents we need to do what ever we can to guarantee the success of our children,” he said.
Comments
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 12:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am glad Bounds came to Dr. Morris' defense.
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 2:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is pretty hypocritical of Hank Bounds to stress the need of community involvement when the whole agenda of the State of Mississippi in league with the federal government has been to take local control of the schools away.
If this is not so, then why is there a state and national superintendent? Besides, what does he mean by community involvment? What more can the community do, after having paid for the buildings, the books, the teachers, and the parasitic administrators? Perhaps hold after hours classes for the students to make up for what the public school system is unable to provide in the role our society has given them?
It is also not surprising that Bounds supports Morris for what Morris wants to do, rather than what Morris has done. It does appear Natchez students are getting exactly what Bounds feels they should be getting, at least as he has been able to determine in the limited amount of time this busy man can devote to Natchez and the very citizens who are doing what he advises, being more involved.
If public education isn't rocket science, why can't the multi-billion dollar public education system teach children to read by the third grade?
Sounds to me like Bounds came down to Natchez to pacify the natives, and nothing more.
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on May 9, 2008 at 5:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dr. Bounds did not offer any profound suggestions to the audience last night. In fact, all his comments have been offered/discussed on this forum in the past.
I would not say that Bounds came to the defense of our superintendent. He said he would not be a part of a conversation/discussion about our superintendent performance with the participants in last night's meeting.
In my opinion, Bounds could not have left the meeting with a good feeling about our school board or superintendent.
Posted by DSGB (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 9:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Its in my honest opinion the first step taken should be by the Board of Alderman to get rid of the three Board members who voted to give Morris a contract extension thru 2011. Jake, you are apart of that board and you and your colleagues need to look into this matter pretty quickly. IF test scores come back low again this year this man would have been rewarded for 5 years of unproductive services in a very valuable resource industry, our kids. Do we really need 3 more years of poorous public school and mismanagement at all levels of our school system, change is needed and quickly? Find out what merited Dr. Edney, Mrs. Steckler, and Mr. Taylor to reward this man with a contract extension? Find out are they really interested in the schools or are they just holding down a position to feel important? The Board of Alderman need to look into these members and see if they are active in the happenings of the Natchez Adams Public School sysyem or are they just going by what the superintendent is telling them....
Posted by ntz143 (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mrs. Steckler and Mr. Taylor were NOT appointed by the Board of Aldermen...they were appointed by the Board of Supervisors.
Posted by ntz143 (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
DSGB- where did you get your information that he was awarded a contract extension? I don't think this is accurate.
Posted by DSGB (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ntz143, I apologize for my misinformation about Mrs. Steckler and Mr. Taylor and I thank you for correcting my mistake. I was told this information by some very reliable sources that work within the school district. I have also had contact with several members of the Committee for Better Public Schools that said it also came in a written letter from Dr. Edney about Dr. Morris' contract extension through the 2010-2011 school year.
Why can't his contract extension be accurate information??
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on May 9, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If the super's contract was extended, then the Supervisors should take some ACTION!
Let's face it, if three of the schools are level two (D grade on a report card), it is time for change!
Posted by ntz143 (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 1:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
if it was extended, that had to have been done last school year. It has not been done this school term.
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on May 9, 2008 at 9:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
well, If Mr. Bounds wants to se ecommunity involvement, all he has to do is read the blog about the tamale shop in the paper today. It will show just how this community is involved......
Posted by headchick (anonymous) on May 10, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
EnKiKur, I agree that the schools are not doing the greatest job teaching students to read, write and do math, but you have to know that they are getting students at five years old who have never heard a story read to them, never seen a book, magazine or newspaper in their parents hands, and have such a limited vocabulary that they can barely understand the teacher's directions. Yes, much of it can be laid at the door of the school system, but parent responsibility comes in too. Students who regularly arrive at school an hour after school starts, missing valuable instructional time, are part of the problem. Parents who never check their children's folders for homework or notes from the teacher are another part. The blame can be spread around to more than just one man or one group!
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on May 10, 2008 at 3:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
headchick, I agree with you that parents should take responsibility for educating their children. I would like you to know though, that since at least 1900 parents have been considered inadequate in that regard, that was the whole reason for setting up public schools as they are. The history of public education is fascinating, and what is more fascinating is that looking back over 100+ years of it we can see what a failure it is.
Over this 100+ years there has been a constant erosion of the mental framework education formerly was built upon..I am speaking of the Judeo-Christian value system. This was done intentionally because that system stresses individual achievement and family traditions, strains of thought social reformers believed to be counter to the interest of society.
The public school system has been successful in eroding that value system. What I believe is the truth about NASD is that the parents and students have faced a double barrier. Being predominately black in the system now, these people have faced that erosion of religious value, but more, they have faced generations of something white parents and students did not face. Family culture of black society was for many decades controlled by legislation that did not even allow marriage. I think the high number of unwed black mothers is fallout from this travesty. More, blacks were segregated into schools that never intended to impart the same level of education. In spite of this, many blacks did prevail individually, but after decades and generations of cultural deprivation and slight too many modern black parents are adrift in a world they do not understand and don't know how to approach.
You are right, no one person is to blame. My fault with Morris is that instead of really working to address the problems, and he could, he chooses to promote the party line the Dept. of Education has used to insure institutional racism and class division for over a century.
The solution does not require focus on global vision. It requires Morris, the teachers, and the parents to focus on Adams County and see if they can't overcome these issues themselves, without the dubious help of the federal government.
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on May 10, 2008 at 3:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Morris is an educated man headchick. He could do something like hold seminars for parents where black history is deeply delved into, not in a way so as to aggravate fear and hatred, but in such a way as to give the parents who don't know a deep understanding of how they got where they are and what the must do to help themselves and their children move forward.
No headstart, daycare, or public school program is going to replace heartfelt sharing of knowledge and possibility and workable solutions. Morris says he has the best interest of the children at heart. If he does, he should quit dividing them into sub groups of resource for federal funds, and treat them and their parents like people.
Posted by headchick (anonymous) on May 11, 2008 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with you that the history of public education does not show great success, but "one size fits all" can rarely be successful for all. There are too many issues with education as a whole that it is hard to settle on one.
There is no replacement for parents in a child's educational progress. Parents are the first teachers, and they retain the primary role in the teacher-support system. A teacher with 25-30 individual students cannot possibly reach each one at his/her level and rate of learning. He/She must aim for the middle and hope to pull along those lagging and supplement those trying to forge ahead. Without parental support, this process is doomed.
I don't know the answers to improve our school system, and I am sure no one really does. However, I have a major concern for our city's progress if the system remains as it is. I don't see a lot of concern for the public schools in parents of private school students. Yet without a viable public school system, what industry will want to come to Natchez?
Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on May 11, 2008 at 3:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
All good points headchick. What better way to learn to read than on your mother's lap?
The school system would be helped a lot if it would focus more on knowledge. Student to teacher ratio could greatly improved if all the unnecessary administrators were in the classroom teaching. I've read that nationwide about 50% of the employees in the public school system are administrators.
There is a lot going on in the schools that is below the surface. Natchez is lucky in one way in that because of our inherent conservatism some of the more progressive programs being pushed in other systems haven't made it here yet. I urge you to read 'The Underground History of American Education' by John Taylor Gatto. You can read it online if you google it and it is a good first book for learning about the sub-surface factors affecting public schools. The book is almost as much fun to read as a novel (well, for me it was as much fun) and was written by a man who taught in New York public schools for thirty years. I am sure you would enjoy it.
Enjoy your day.
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