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School Boards and Superintendents Must Be Forward-Thinking

rtbaldwin2 — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:18:11 +0000

Mooresville’s Mark Edwards named school superintendent of year

By Ann Doss Helms – Charlotte Observer

Published in: Education

• Education: Bachelor’s from University of Tennessee; master’s in administration from Tennessee Technical University; doctorate in education from Vanderbilt University.

• Career: Became a teacher in 1976. Superintendent of Danville (Va.) Public Schools 1992-94. Superintendent of Henrico County Public Schools (Richmond, Va.) 1994-2004 (named Virginia Superintendent of the Year in 2001). Dean of the education school at University of North Alabama (Florence), 2004-2006. Vice president for business development, Harcourt Assessment, 2006-07. Superintendent of Mooresville Graded School District since April 2007.

• Family: Wife Marcia is a media specialist in Iredell-Statesville Schools, where daughter Autumn is a student teacher. Daughter Adrian works in marketing for Discovery Education in Maryland. Son Luke, 12, is in seventh grade at Mooresville Middle School. Ann Doss Helms

MOORESVILLE You could call Mark Edwards’ move to lead Mooresville public schools a midlife crisis.

He had already wrapped up a long and acclaimed stint as superintendent of a much larger district in Virginia. He had moved on to be a college dean, then vice president for a testing company.

But as he waited for a delayed flight far from home, missing yet another milestone in his daughter’s senior year of high school, he realized he wasn’t happy.

And so he came to Mooresville, a town that reminded him of his childhood home in Tennessee, to lead a district of 5,800 students. His pay dropped by about half, and he reports to work in an old post office that still has mail slots and a walk-in safe.

You could call that a midlife crisis. You could also call it a second-chapter success story.

Edwards, 60, was recently named national Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators, the professional group for superintendents.

Ask almost anyone in the national education scene about Edwards and they’ll tell you he’s the laptop guy, the guru of digital learning.

He has just published a book on “a digital conversion model for student achievement,” with a forward by former Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Bob Wise of West Virginia.

Visitors stream from across the country — the next group will include New Zealand educators — to watch Mooresville’s teachers and students in action. Tech tours of Mooresville Graded School District are booked through spring of 2014.

Yet Edwards, whose daily routine includes readings from the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, insists his work is more about love and respect than Apples and apps.

“They come to see digital,” Edwards says. “But they leave talking about culture.”

Digital pioneer

Edwards majored in religious studies at University of Tennessee, with an emphasis on Chinese Buddhism. But when it came time to earn a living, it’s no surprise he chose teaching. His grandmother, mother and father are all educators.

After a couple of years as a biology teacher and basketball coach in Florida, Edwards started moving up the ladder. When he was a new principal feeling a bit lost, he asked his mother, Ernestine Edwards, for help.

“Go in classrooms all the time and thank the teachers and ask them what you can do to help,” he recalls her saying. That advice has guided him since.

Edwards spent two years as superintendent in Danville, Va. But it was the 10 years he spent leading Henrico County Schools in Richmond that put him on the national map.

Henrico County had about 50,000 students, almost evenly divided between black and white, middle-class and low-income, Edwards says. He saw technology as an equalizer, and in 2000 he launched a push to get 26,000 laptops into the hands of students.

Many were watching. Apple founder Steve Jobs came to speak at a convocation.

Colleagues from that time recall the human side that made the work fun. Two retired members of his executive staff, Vicki Wilson and Janet Binns, drove down to congratulate Edwards recently. They recalled another convocation, where Edwards led a Riverdance-style Irish clogging line — and the folks who had agreed to join him on stage took their time about coming out, smirking while he stomped alone.

Finding Mooresville

After Edwards left Henrico County, he tried the life of a traveling sales executive and decided it wasn’t for him. He thought he’d like to be a superintendent again, but in a smaller district.

In 2007, friends from North Carolina told him Mooresville was looking for a leader.

The town of 33,000 people, about 30 miles north of Charlotte, has one of North Carolina’s 15 remaining city school districts. Bordered by the suburban wealth of Lake Norman and surrounded by Iredell-Statesville Schools, it’s an old-fashioned small town that Edwards describes as a working-class enclave.

Residents have long been proud of their schools: One high school, one middle school and five elementary and intermediate schools.

But there were fault lines. The district is 70 percent white. African Americans make up 17 percent of the student body, and many adults believed they were being shortchanged.

Leon Pridgen, whose two children were in middle school at the time, was one of them. He said educators tended to value black students as athletes, but not much else: “They were not challenged. They were not included. The expectation wasn’t as high.”

Edwards told the school board that digital conversion could be the key to rallying everyone behind improvement.

High tech, low cost

Here’s what grabs people’s attention about Mooresville: Every student from fourth grade up gets a Macbook Air to use in class. They can take them home in a protective backpack provided by the school. Younger students use laptops and interactive whiteboards in class. Wireless internet is available throughout the district.

That’s the hook. But what Edwards wants to talk about is the way teachers teach and students learn. Going digital requires lots of support for teachers, he says.

“A lot of districts are buying hardware and thinking something is going to happen,” Edwards said. “The teacher is still the key.”

For instance, teachers now make videos to reinforce their lessons, so students can watch and review at their own pace. The night before a test, a teacher might invite students to an online discussion board or Skype conference to review.

Senior projects have become sophisticated multimedia affairs. Edwards recalls one student whose architectural design for an auto repair shop was so impressive that one of the project judges offered him a job on the spot.

Edwards says he has paid for the technology (laptops are leased) through the existing budget, with the exception of a $250,000 grant to get the wifi set up.

And that budget is not big. The latest state rankings of per-pupil spending puts Mooresville 108th of 116 districts, spending $7,716 per pupil in 2012. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools ranks 93rd at $8,121 per student.

The cost of going digital was partly offset by savings on textbooks, Edwards says. And while the transition sparked some resistance, district employees and Mooresville leaders now take pride in being leaders.

Payoff for students

In 2007, the year Edwards arrived, Mooresville had an on-time graduation rate of 77 percent. For black students it was 67 percent.

Last year it was 90 percent for all students — and 95 percent for African American students. The state average was 80 percent for all students and 75 percent for African Americans.

Scholarships for all students are on the rise, and suspension rates have declined — especially for black students, who had disproportionately high rates when he arrived, Edwards said.

That’s not to say no challenges remain. Mooresville’s African American, Hispanic and low-income students perform well above state averages on reading and math exams, but have not caught up to white and middle-class students in the district. New, tougher exams being introduced this spring are expected to bring setbacks for most districts.

What’s next?

In February, Edwards joined three other finalists for national Superintendent of the Year at the American Association of School Administrators conference in Los Angeles.

CMS Superintendent Heath Morrison was there, too. As 2012 Superintendent of the Year, Morrison would hand over the ceremonial blue blazer to the winner.

Morrison and Edwards have known each other for years, and when Morrison was hired to head CMS last year their connection became closer, literally and figuratively. Morrison says he was delighted when Edwards won.

Edwards says he’ll use his new status to speak up about the need for better teacher pay in North Carolina. His daughter, a student teacher in Iredell County, has told him she can’t afford to stay in North Carolina after graduation when nearby states pay so much more.

He and Morrison have also talked about ways to slow the state’s push for standardized testing. The two have tallied more than 200 required exams. “We’ve gone test-crazy,” Edwards said.

As Edwards assumes Morrison’s title, an obvious question arises. Within two months of last year’s ceremony, Morrison, who was honored for his work in Reno, Nev., was hired by the much larger CMS. Will recruiters for other districts start swarming Edwards?

Morrison laughs at the notion. “Trust me, the headhunters already know,” he said. “I think people across the country know about Mark Edwards.”

Edwards says he likes Mooresville and wants stability for his youngest child, who’s in seventh grade.

On a recent evening, Edwards’ admirers lined up for more than 90 minutes to congratulate him.

Frank Rader, a school volunteer who calls himself a cheerleader for Edwards, was one of the first in line.

“I think what will keep him here,” Rader said, “is a big community hug.”

Where Good Things Happen #1- Mooresville Schools

Stan Suther — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:38:00 +0000

The Mooresville Graded School System has for many years enjoyed a reputation as an excellent school system. That positive reputation has been a great contributor to the quality of life of a multitude of Mooresville families and has also been a factor in bringing people and businesses from all of the country to settle here. Recently, the Mooresville Graded School System received a new distinction. A couple of weeks ago, the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) named Mooresville Schools’ Superintendent, Mark Edwards, the 2013 National Superintendent of the Year. Yep, I said National Superintendent of the Year! Mark has been here since 2007, and as soon as he arrived, he made it know that he was going to do things differently. That goal has matured into a systemwide adoption of digital (computer based) tools to enhance the educational process. It has been so successful in the academic results for our students that our system has become prominent nationally and internationally for this advancement. The system is visited regularly by representatives from all over the world to find out what and how this was done. Read a detailed article about the award and the accomplishments which helped win it HERE in the Mooresville Tribune.

Remarkably, Mooresville Schools’ neighbor, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, last year hired the 2012 National Superintendent of the Year, Heath Morrison. At the time, Dr. Morrison was Superintendent in Washoe County School District in northern Nevada. Hopefully, he’ll be successful in bringing his skills to Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. See a link HERE about this from the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza.

As a Realtor, I can tell you that the reputation of local schools is very often a high priority with families and businesses who want to move here. Communities either grow or die. They rarely manage to stay healthy by just maintaining the status quo. The quality of Mooresville’s schools is certainly one of the reasons that we continue to see good things happen in Iredell County and the Lake Norman area.

Iredell Schools Do More with Less

Stan Suther — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:47:07 +0000

Well, school’s out, the kids are happy, and the teachers are exhausted! It’s a good time to consider what a bargain we get here in Iredell County with our schools. A few weeks ago, I attended an information session that the Realtor Association set up with the Superintendents of our two school systems in Iredell County- Brady Johnson of Iredell-Statesville Schools and Mark Edwards of Mooresville Schools. They each went through a long list of accomplishments for their respective systems and noted that both systems consistently rank in the top ten in performance of all school systems in North Carolina. But they really got our attention when it was noted that in terms of spending per student by the 115 systems in the state, Mooresville is ranked at 100th position and Iredell-Statesville at 105th. That means all the other schools on up to the #1 position spend more per student than do our schools. I think it’s remarkable that we can get such wonderful results for so little money compared to the great majority of school systems in the state.

Iredell County’s tax rate is one of the lower ones in the state, and our local politicians guard that jealously as one of our best assets. As a taxpayer, I certainly agree. However, we’ve all got to understand that the quality of our education system in the county is a huge asset in the eyes of businesses looking to relocate or considering whether to stay or leave. School quality is one of the very first issues that they address when they start looking for locations. They know that having good schools nearby is one sure way to attract and retain good quality employees. That has a great impact on all of us whether we have kids in school or not. A healthy business environment provides long-term benefits for our property tax base as well as money spent with local retailers and services that help them survive and prosper.

Thanks to all who work in our Iredell County school systems for providing such an excellent education for our students and providing such an excellent reputation for educational quality. That’s one of the reasons that Mooresville and Statesville have consistently ranked #1 over many years for business growth by Site Selection Magazine, based on the amount of investment in new and expanded business for similar communities in the USA.

Instructional Technology (Done right)

mattharriger — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:49:53 +0000

Bob Dylan sang “the times they are a-changin’” and right now that could not be more true in education. Soon I’ll be leaving my teaching position in Mooresville, NC and moving back to Pittsburgh to work as an Instructional Technology Coach for VARtek. With all of the change going on in my life I have been thinking a lot about education and how much it has changed, just in the last 8 years that I’ve been teaching.

Earlier this week the New York Times printed an article written about the Mooresville Graded School District and their use of technology. The article titled, “Mooresville’s Shining Example (It’s Not Just About the Laptops)”. The article outlined how Mooresville was able to afford and obtain the technology, the positive effect it has had on the students, the community and test scores as well as how there are still some glitches from time to time.

After reading the article online, what struck me were the comments. Right now there have been more than 300 comments about this article. Many of the commenters are of the opinion that the teachers are just using the technology with little to no interaction with the students. While for some teachers that would be an easy way of using the computers, it is not the best way. Just saying, “Hey kids, log onto Study Island (or whatever other online tool is being used) and work for 30 minutes.” is not going to help students. In order to use the technology effectively teachers need to interact with their students and get to know their areas of need. There has to be involvement from the teacher and interaction with the students in order for it to work.

Like a lot of tools in education technology, whether it is a laptop, an ipad, an ipod, a cell phones or a desktop computer is a tool. It will not do all of the work of a teacher. A teacher has to use it as one of the many tools that they may have at their disposal. Sitting a student in front of a computer screen will not help unless it is being used productively.

Finally, I think one of the amazing parts of the comments section came from reading stories from former and current Mooresville students that stood up for the school district. Many wrote comments that
backed up what many of us know, that technology in education can make a difference in helping prepare students for the future.

Computers in Mooresville Schools are Effective

Stan Suther — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 18:44:53 +0000

For the last few years, the Mooresville Graded School System has embarked on a transition to a new type of teaching. What’s new is the integration of personal computers into the everyday educational instruction of all students. Every student from 4th grade on is issued a leased Apple laptop computer to use in their daily classwork and homework. Students as young as Kindergarteners are also benefiting from the use of computers in their classrooms. Although it’s been tough for some teachers to adapt to this change, it appears to be getting the desired results, and Mooresville schools are much admired by other school systems around the country. There is a steady flow of visitors from school systems near and far who want to see what the Mooresville system is doing and how it’s working out. All this activity using computers in Mooresville Schools was recently featured in an Education Week article which can be seen HERE. The high praise seems to be borne out by another recent announcement in the Mooresville Tribune. Mooresville schools received recognition for advances both in end of grade testing proficiency and in graduation rate. See that article HERE.

Are You Sure of Your Mooresville Area School District?

Stan Suther — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:45:43 +0000

School will soon be starting again, and parents of students are moving to the Mooresville and Iredell County area hopefully in time to get their children enrolled before school starts. Iredell County is unusual in that we are served by both the Iredell-Statesville School system and the Mooresville Graded School District. Those in the Mooresville School district pay an additional property tax (currently $.135 per $100 valuation) in order to enjoy the benefits of these fine schools. The Mooresville School district boundaries are not the same as the Mooresville town boundaries. They extend in some cases quite a distance from the town limits. There are also specified areas around the outer borders of the school district that give the property owner the opportunity to annex the property into the Mooresville School district. All of this is shown on maps available at the Mooresville Graded Schools website HERE.

What I didn’t realize until this week is that if a property owner makes that choice and is annexed into the Mooresville School district, that choice is irreversible. According to school representatives, future owners of the property cannot change that decision. This means that in those defined areas, you could find properties that are side by side which have an Iredell-Statesville school assignment for one and a Mooresville Graded Schools assignment for the other.

Mooresville schools have always been highly regarded, and now the nearby Iredell-Statesville schools also have a great reputation. I can easily see where someone who had their property annexed into the Mooresville district because of their preference for their children might later sell to someone who has no children in the home and does not have that educational preference on their mind. What’s more, they may not want to pay the additional property tax, although it’s clear that strong schools help to make for a strong local economy. What we have to take from this is that real estate agents representing both buyers and sellers should be proactive in determining school assignments in these border areas. Making a faulty assumption could result in bad feelings and possibly legal action. This is not hard to resolve. A quick call to the main office of the Mooresville Graded School District (704-658-2530) or the Iredell-Statesville Schools (704-872-8931) will get a quick answer from the staff. This could also be deduced from a look at the tax records for the property in question to see what tax codes are applied to the property.

Doing both will take the average real estate agent about 5 minutes, so it’s a matter of “just do it.”

Charlotte, NC - Education

The Lee Ann Miller Team — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:45:11 +0000

Families new to the Charlotte area will find many educational opportunities and choices here; so many in fact that it may take a little research to figure out exactly which is best for your child. Local educators make that task easy by welcoming visitors to their schools and by providing ample information to help you make the choice.

Public Schools

The Charlotte region’s public school systems meet the needs of a wide range of students, from special needs to academically gifted, technical to college prep. North Carolina has traditionally encouraged consolidation of public systems so that each county has one school system, giving the state 100 county systems and 15 city systems. The largest in North Carolina, and among the top 25 in the nation, is Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which serves more than 121,640 students in 148 schools.

While many North Carolina public systems have consolidated, some remain independent city school districts, such as Mooresville Graded School District in southern Iredell County and Kannapolis City Schools in Cabarrus/Rowan counties. In South Carolina, Lancaster County has one public school system, while York County has four, each with its own distinct character.

A common theme among all regional schools is growth. The increase in population is causing tremendous growth in school enrollment, and that puts pressure on classroom space, money and resources. As you visit schools, you’ll see plenty of new construction and expansion projects under way, as well as many modular units, or mobile classrooms.

Making the Grade

Another common theme for public systems in North Carolina is the ABCs, short for the ABCs of Public Education Accountability Program . This statewide reform effort is designed to improve educational performance and results at individual schools by setting goals and evaluating progress on those goals through end-of-grade tests. High-performing schools are rewarded through bonuses for teachers and other certified staff; low-performing schools are given special state assistance to help them improve. The ABC results are available online at the State Department of Public Instruction Web site, www.ncpublicschools.org.

The No Child Left Behind Legislation, enacted in 2003, also holds school districts accountable. The law has three goals: 1. Make sure that all students in a school perform well in the areas of reading and mathematics especially students from low-income families and minority populations, Limited English Proficient students, and students with disabilities. 2. Hold schools responsible if all children are not on grade level or above. 3. Make sure that there is a highly qualified teacher in each classroom.

Each state sets its own standards for meeting these goals; for North Carolina, this means that students must achieve grade-level or higher on their end-of-grade tests.

Private Schools

The Charlotte region also has many independent secular and religious private schools. There’s even a parochial school system Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools which encompasses the countys eight parochial schools (but not the Catholic schools in outlying counties). You’ll find a range of educational offerings, including innovative programs, special classes for students with learning disabilities, religious training and character-building. Because each private school has its own distinct philosophy and approach to learning, you’ll want to research, talk to parents and take a tour.

Charter Schools

The Charlotte region also has several charter schools to consider. Charter schools, which originated in Minnesota in the early 1990s, are independently operated public schools designed to serve as laboratories for innovation in education. Created and run by parents, teachers and/or community leaders, charter schools receive the same per-pupil funding as other public schools. However, they can spend the money and operate with fewer restrictions and government rules. The schools must be approved by the N.C. Board of Education before they can begin operation and are periodically reviewed.

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