On Sundays I pay tribute to someone who has been a big difference in the lives of others. Such is the case with Michele McClung, who must have been paying attention when Albert Einstein supposedly said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Einstein’s statement is the status of education in this country these days. We continue to do the same thing (throw more money into education), and “those who know best” expect different results. Insanity!
However, the situation is now different in southern Alabama, thanks to Michele McClung, the new school superintendent for the twelve schools in Escambia County, Alabama. She arrived two years ago to lead a school system that needed major help academically. Being a former math teacher, she was familiar with what teachers needed to help students succeed. She used her classroom experience to equip teachers with the latest resources to make their jobs easier, while also improving students’ chances for success.
From Epoch Share:
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.”
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.
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.
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.)
One of the more remarkable achievements of McClung’s philosophy occurred at W.S. Neal High School in the small town of East Brewton, Alabama. That school 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. That school has now gone from an F to a B over the last two years. 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.
Kudos to Michele McClung for the spectacular job she is doing in Escambia County, Alabama. Could her philosophy rescue the almost moribund schools in California? Who knows!
10/8/23
californiacontrarian