The city schools’ superintendent has gotten attention this year on the state and national level.
Dr. Kim Morrison, Mount Airy City Schools, has picked up three honors recently: being named to a state advisory committee, being appointed to a state literacy task force, and being elected president of a national education group.
“The life of a superintendent is varied and comprised of many essential activities,” said Carrie Venable, MACS public information officer.
”One day she may be working with county commissioners on upcoming capital projects, the next day visiting classrooms to spend time with students. The following day her schedule may be packed with partner meetings to see how to best prepare students for the workplace.”
The job is rewarding but can be trying — especially when the weather isn’t cooperating and the superintendent needs to call for a snow delay or early closure for potential flooding.
In addition to the operations that keep a leader visible, such as ball games and Board of Education meetings, superintendents also have the opportunity to have a far-reaching impact.
“Mount Airy City Schools is led by a superintendent who strives to not only stay up to date on the educational landscape that will impact students, but strives to lend her voice to groups that are working to continually improve the education system as a whole,” said Venable.
• Dr. Morrison recently was appointed to the State Board of Education Literacy Task Force by SBE Chairman Eric Davis. The charge of this task force is to help all students reach proficiency in reading by the end of third grade. This task force will work in conjunction with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC) to “update the SBE policy to apply to education preparation programs,” said Venable.
Morrison’s service on this task force began in January, and the group plans to have a task force recommendation available later in the spring. Being the only superintendent appointed, she will work with other superintendents across the state to share their ideas with the education board.
• The N.C. DPI Testing and Growth Advisory is a committee of the Department of Instruction that provides feedback on testing processes throughout the state.
Dr. Morrison is the superintendent representative for testing and accountability.
“The committee provided feedback to DPI on their recent endeavor to pilot a reduction in testing by using formative assessment as a robust form of testing instead of relying on one test at the end of the school year for student progress and growth,” stated Venable. “This statewide committee takes the feedback of superintendents, directors, teachers and others when formulating statewide plans on testing.”
• Dr. Morrison has served on the board of directors of Magnet Schools of America (MSA) since 2014 and has been involved with this national education group since 2005.
She has been elected to be the next president of this organization and will be sworn in later this spring in Clark County, Nevada. This organization partners with the U.S. Education Department to implement innovative schools across the country. MSA represents more than 4,000 schools throughout the U.S. and focuses on diversity, academic achievement, and theme-based education.
MSA’s Executive Director Todd Mann noted, “MSA is one of the leading education associations in the country. Its unique approach to furthering innovative curriculum, with diversity at its foundation, has continually propelled the organization to the forefront of highly regarded groups. Being elected President of MSA is a distinct honor, but also a significant responsibility as the role leads so much of what is occurring nationally in education today.”
The pillars that Magnet Schools are founded on include diversity, innovative curriculum and professional development, academic excellence, high-quality instructional systems, and family and community partnerships. It is the combined effect of these foundational pieces that help prepare students for the future no matter the category of the school system in which they learn. The fact that MSA represents over 4,000 schools throughout the country provides Dr. Morrison with an abundance of examples to see what works best for her district.
When asked about her work with these groups, Dr. Morrison noted, “It is my honor to represent Surry County and specifically Mount Airy in these important statewide committees and nationally concerning innovation in education. I believe strongly that education is the most critical factor in helping students overcome poverty and compete on an equal field with their peers for careers.
“We must prepare our students for a world that is different than the one we grew up in, and helping our students think outside the box is critical to this. They must be literate and able to read throughout their lives as well as know multiple languages, be able to solve problems, have connections to mentors, know the industries in their state, and be prepared to compete with a global workforce.”
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Source: https://www.mtairynews.com