I have been gratified to hear all the positive response my campaign platform has generated in the county. I am especially pleased that the other candidates, for the most part, are supporting positions that I have been advocating for several years. While most of the buzz has been positive, I’m also aware that there are some negative comments out there as well. I’d like to address the one I hear most often.
I’ve heard that some people have said that I hate sports and as superintendent I’d try to do away with athletic programs. This is so incredibly untrue that I was tempted to ignore it, but I decided it might be better to set the record straight.
I love sports, especially football. In high school I was on the football, baseball, and track teams. When I was cut from the basketball team I became the scorekeeper. In my twelve years as a public school student, our high school had one winning season. My senior year we went 5 and 4, and we were ecstatic! We played some tough teams. Our rival across the river had a quarterback by the name of Joe Theisman. They had one basic play: hike the ball to Joe and let him go. It didn’t get much better when Joe went to Notre Dame. He was replaced by Drew Pearson.
I guess that’s why I fell in love with Weir football when I came to the school 20 years ago. I’d never been associated with such a winning tradition. I didn’t miss a game for over a decade. Not wanting to miss a thing, I walked up and down the sidelines following the ball rather than sit in the stands. For a few years I did the play by play from the press booth.
Later, when I began to teach half a day in Weir and half a day in Ackerman, I became an Indian fan too. I know that some Choctaw Countians feel that’s like rooting for Ole Miss and State too, but I couldn’t help myself. The year the Lions and Indians both went to state was as good as it gets. During the time that Dicenzo Miller, Conner Stevens, and the McKinley brothers played at State, I covered the games for the Plaindealer.
I guess the nonsense of me being against football began in the 2001-2002 school year when I was chairman of the Weir school improvement committee. The state of Mississippi made us come up with a school improvement plan because of extremely low standardized test scores. I and five or six of the best teachers in the school came up with a plan that had to be, and was, approved by the school board and accepted by the state department of education.
Among other things, the plan contended that we needed to stop using classroom instruction time for athletics. I don’t know how it is now, but in the past students were taken out of class to pick up garbage under the football bleachers. Some students in a two-period class were let out halfway through the class to lift weights in the fieldhouse. Some students were actually on the practice field during their study hall. As I said, I loved Weir football, but any competent educator knows that these things are plain wrong.
When the plan was released the feces hit the fan! Since there wasn’t anything in the plan that its opponents could attack, they attacked me. It was said that I wanted to do away with football. It was also said that I was a bad father, a bad pastor, and a bad person in general. I’m surprised I wasn’t accused of being Osama Bin Laden’s right-hand man. Believe it or not, I actually received one physical threat.
Of course, the accusations were completely false. I didn’t then, nor would I as superintendent, ever want to do away with athletics. Like most parents in Choctaw County, I believe athletic programs are essential to the success of our schools. My position is simple, straightforward, and honest. While I believe a good athletic program is vital, sports should never be a higher priority than academics.
It is unfortunate that some of those who oppose my candidacy are telling folks that I hate sports and will try to do away with athletics if I’m elected. To their credit, they’ve not yet said I’m a terrible person. I expect that will come later this summer. So be it. I will never back down or apologize for telling the truth, and the truth is that public schools must always put academics ahead of athletics.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Candidate Debate
If you weren’t at the courthouse last Thursday night you missed an historic event. For the first time in the history of the Choctaw County School District, or at least for the first time in the 20 years that I’ve served the district, candidates for superintendent came together to discuss the issues with the public. Although it wasn’t meant to be a debate, when it was over folks kept asking me who I thought won. That was the easiest question of the night. The public won.
The public won because for once they know the candidates’ views on school issues. They were also able to see how well the candidates can think on their feet. Just as importantly, they were able to see how well each candidate can communicate his or her ideas.
The biggest surprise of the night, for me at least, was that all the candidates present had apparently been studying my blog. They all said that they are in favor of recruiting widely for teachers and administrators, that they are for involving teachers and parents in hiring teachers and administrators, and that they are for empowering teachers and parents by giving them input in policy and program decisions. That surprised me because when I formally presented these ideas to our school board on February 11, 2002 I got very little support and a great deal of criticism.
In all fairness I should say that my opponent in the Republican primary, Glen Beard, did not jump on that bandwagon. Of course, he didn’t come to the meeting, but if he had I’m sure he would not have endorsed these positions. His record for hiring certified personnel at Weir Attendance Center would seem to rule that out.
My biggest disappointment of the evening was that Glen Beard chose not to show up and tell the public his positions and what he would do if he were the superintendent of schools. I’d like the public to know where he and I differ on the issues because I feel certain that we differ significantly. In the August primary I won’t be running against Donna Nail, Terry Stacy, or Freddie King. I’ll have to beat Glen Beard first. If you want to help me do that please remember to ask for a Republican ballot in the August primary election. In November, of course, you can vote for a combination of Republicans and Democrats if you chose to.
In closing I’d like to thank Kenny Clark, Charles Thomas, Laura Sandiford, Tricia Robinette, Lee James, and Robin Fulce for volunteering their time to make the evening’s discussion possible. There was so much happening Thursday night that I’m sure I’m leaving others out who helped as well, and I’m sorry for the omission. I’d also like to thank all the Choctaw Countians who came out to show their interest and express their concerns for our schools. I’d love to see this event repeated before the election. I’d be happy to go anywhere at anytime and give the public my views on educational issues.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
The public won because for once they know the candidates’ views on school issues. They were also able to see how well the candidates can think on their feet. Just as importantly, they were able to see how well each candidate can communicate his or her ideas.
The biggest surprise of the night, for me at least, was that all the candidates present had apparently been studying my blog. They all said that they are in favor of recruiting widely for teachers and administrators, that they are for involving teachers and parents in hiring teachers and administrators, and that they are for empowering teachers and parents by giving them input in policy and program decisions. That surprised me because when I formally presented these ideas to our school board on February 11, 2002 I got very little support and a great deal of criticism.
In all fairness I should say that my opponent in the Republican primary, Glen Beard, did not jump on that bandwagon. Of course, he didn’t come to the meeting, but if he had I’m sure he would not have endorsed these positions. His record for hiring certified personnel at Weir Attendance Center would seem to rule that out.
My biggest disappointment of the evening was that Glen Beard chose not to show up and tell the public his positions and what he would do if he were the superintendent of schools. I’d like the public to know where he and I differ on the issues because I feel certain that we differ significantly. In the August primary I won’t be running against Donna Nail, Terry Stacy, or Freddie King. I’ll have to beat Glen Beard first. If you want to help me do that please remember to ask for a Republican ballot in the August primary election. In November, of course, you can vote for a combination of Republicans and Democrats if you chose to.
In closing I’d like to thank Kenny Clark, Charles Thomas, Laura Sandiford, Tricia Robinette, Lee James, and Robin Fulce for volunteering their time to make the evening’s discussion possible. There was so much happening Thursday night that I’m sure I’m leaving others out who helped as well, and I’m sorry for the omission. I’d also like to thank all the Choctaw Countians who came out to show their interest and express their concerns for our schools. I’d love to see this event repeated before the election. I’d be happy to go anywhere at anytime and give the public my views on educational issues.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
No Child or Dentist Left Behind
No Child Left Behind
Perhaps the most talked about and controversial topic in public education today is the No Child Left Behind legislation. For most people, the biggest bone of contention in this law is the provision requiring high-stakes testing for students. The premise behind the testing is reasonable: since the federal government provides local school districts with federal tax dollars, the federal government tries to hold local schools accountable. Simply put, the feds require us to test our kids to prove we’re using all that money to provide the public with effective schools. Nearly every public educator I know is frustrated with the No Child Left Behind Act. So am I. This frustration is well illustrated by the following story written by John S. Taylor, a school superintendent.
No Dentist Left Behind
My dentist is great! He sends me reminders so I don't forget checkups. He uses the latest techniques based on research. He never hurts me, and I've got all my teeth. When I ran into him the other day, I was eager to see if he'd heard about the new state program. I knew he'd think it was great.
"Did you hear about the new state program to measure effectiveness of dentists with their young patients?" I said.
"No," he said. He didn't seem too thrilled. "How will they do that?"
"It's quite simple," I said. "They will just count the number of cavities each patient has at age 10, 14, and 18 and average that to determine a dentist's rating. Dentists will be rated as excellent, good, average, below average, and unsatisfactory. That way parents will know which are the best dentists. The plan will also encourage the less effective dentists to get better," I said. "Poor dentists who don't improve could lose their licenses to practice."
"That's terrible," he said.
"What? That's not a good attitude," I said. "Don't you think we should try to improve children's dental health in this state?"
"Sure I do," he said, "but that's not a fair way to determine who is practicing good dentistry."
"Why not?" I said. "It makes perfect sense to me."
"Well, it's so obvious," he said. "Don't you see that dentists don't all work with the same clientele, and that much depends on things we can't control? For example, I work in a rural area with a high percentage of patients from deprived homes, while some of my colleagues work in upper middle-class neighborhoods. Many of the parents I work with don't bring their children to see me until there is some kind of problem, and I don't get to do much preventive work. Also, many of the parents I serve let their kids eat way too much candy from an early age, unlike more educated parents who understand the relationship between sugar and decay. To top it all off, so many of my clients have well water which is untreated and has no fluoride in it. Do you have any idea how much difference early use of fluoride can make?"
"It sounds like you're making excuses," I said. "I can't believe that you, my dentist, would be so defensive. After all, you do a great job, and you needn't fear a little accountability."
"I am not being defensive!" he said. "My best patients are as good as anyone's, my work is as good as anyone's, but my average cavity count is going to be higher than a lot of other dentists because I chose to work where I am needed most."
"Don't' get touchy," I said.
"Touchy?" he said. His face had turned red, and from the way he was clenching and unclenching his jaws, I was afraid he was going to damage his teeth. "Try furious! In a system like this, I will end up being rated average, below average, or worse. The few educated patients I have who see these ratings may believe this so-called rating is an actual measure of my ability and proficiency as a dentist. They may leave me, and I'll be left with only the most needy patients. And my cavity average score will get even worse. On top of that, how will I attract good dental hygienists and other excellent dentists to my practice if it is labeled below average?"
"I think you are overreacting," I said. “Complaining, excuse-making and stonewalling won't improve dental health.”
"Spare me," he said, "I can't believe this. Reasonable people won't buy it," he said hopefully.
The program sounded reasonable to me, so I asked, "How else would you measure good dentistry?"
"Come watch me work," he said. "Observe my processes."
"That's too complicated, expensive and time- consuming," I said. "Cavities are the bottom line, and you can't argue with the bottom line. It's an absolute measure."
"That's what I'm afraid my parents and prospective patients will think. This can't be happening," he said despairingly.
"Now, now," I said, "don't despair. The state will help you some."
"How?" he asked.
"If you receive a poor rating, they'll send a dentist who is rated excellent to help straighten you out," I said brightly.
"You mean," he said, "they'll send a dentist with a wealthy clientele to show me how to work on severe juvenile dental problems with which I have probably had much more experience? BIG HELP!"
"There you go again," I said. "You aren't acting professionally at all."
"You don't get it," he said. "Doing this would be like grading schools and teachers on an average score made on a test of children's progress with no regard to influences outside the school, the home, the community served and stuff like that. Why would they do something so unfair to dentists? No one would ever think of doing that to schools." I just shook my head sadly, but he had brightened. "I'm going to write my representatives and senators," he said. "I'll use the school analogy. Surely they will see the point." He walked off with that look of hope mixed with fear and suppressed anger that I, a teacher, see in the mirror so often lately.
THE STORY ENDS HERE, BUT PLEASE READ ON
Unfortunately, No Child Left Behind is here and we have to deal with it. So far, our strategy seems to be to “teach the test.” A few years ago I actually heard a school board member say that all we needed to do was get a copy of the state tests and study them. Our strategy misses the point. The goal is not to improve test scores. The goal is to improve education. A few years ago I was lucky enough to win a Fullbright Fellowship to travel to Japan and study their school system first hand. Japanese schools are widely regarded among the world’s best. Their test scores go through the roof. Like most people, I suspected they were obsessed with test scores and made their students drill, drill, DRILL! I was wrong. Their philosophy is to teach the whole child. They concentrate on curriculum integration, problem-based learning, classroom projects, and other student-centered learning strategies.
I agree with the dentist in our story: When asked how he would measure good dentistry he said, "Come watch me work. Observe my processes." Yes, it is complicated and time consuming. But that’s how you improve education. You observe classroom teachers and help them get better. The school principals should be the best teachers in their schools. They should be willing to take the time, and have the ability, to show teachers how to improve classroom instruction. They should see to it that curriculum integration, problem-based learning, classroom projects, and other student-centered learning strategies are the rule rather than the exception.
As Superintendent of Schools I pledge to get out of the office and into the schools. I will work with principals to improve classroom instruction. If you’re considering other candidates for superintendent, ask them to tell you about the various instructional strategies they are familiar with. Ask them if they’ll work with principals to ensure that best practices are used in our classrooms. If they’re not, find another candidate.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
Perhaps the most talked about and controversial topic in public education today is the No Child Left Behind legislation. For most people, the biggest bone of contention in this law is the provision requiring high-stakes testing for students. The premise behind the testing is reasonable: since the federal government provides local school districts with federal tax dollars, the federal government tries to hold local schools accountable. Simply put, the feds require us to test our kids to prove we’re using all that money to provide the public with effective schools. Nearly every public educator I know is frustrated with the No Child Left Behind Act. So am I. This frustration is well illustrated by the following story written by John S. Taylor, a school superintendent.
No Dentist Left Behind
My dentist is great! He sends me reminders so I don't forget checkups. He uses the latest techniques based on research. He never hurts me, and I've got all my teeth. When I ran into him the other day, I was eager to see if he'd heard about the new state program. I knew he'd think it was great.
"Did you hear about the new state program to measure effectiveness of dentists with their young patients?" I said.
"No," he said. He didn't seem too thrilled. "How will they do that?"
"It's quite simple," I said. "They will just count the number of cavities each patient has at age 10, 14, and 18 and average that to determine a dentist's rating. Dentists will be rated as excellent, good, average, below average, and unsatisfactory. That way parents will know which are the best dentists. The plan will also encourage the less effective dentists to get better," I said. "Poor dentists who don't improve could lose their licenses to practice."
"That's terrible," he said.
"What? That's not a good attitude," I said. "Don't you think we should try to improve children's dental health in this state?"
"Sure I do," he said, "but that's not a fair way to determine who is practicing good dentistry."
"Why not?" I said. "It makes perfect sense to me."
"Well, it's so obvious," he said. "Don't you see that dentists don't all work with the same clientele, and that much depends on things we can't control? For example, I work in a rural area with a high percentage of patients from deprived homes, while some of my colleagues work in upper middle-class neighborhoods. Many of the parents I work with don't bring their children to see me until there is some kind of problem, and I don't get to do much preventive work. Also, many of the parents I serve let their kids eat way too much candy from an early age, unlike more educated parents who understand the relationship between sugar and decay. To top it all off, so many of my clients have well water which is untreated and has no fluoride in it. Do you have any idea how much difference early use of fluoride can make?"
"It sounds like you're making excuses," I said. "I can't believe that you, my dentist, would be so defensive. After all, you do a great job, and you needn't fear a little accountability."
"I am not being defensive!" he said. "My best patients are as good as anyone's, my work is as good as anyone's, but my average cavity count is going to be higher than a lot of other dentists because I chose to work where I am needed most."
"Don't' get touchy," I said.
"Touchy?" he said. His face had turned red, and from the way he was clenching and unclenching his jaws, I was afraid he was going to damage his teeth. "Try furious! In a system like this, I will end up being rated average, below average, or worse. The few educated patients I have who see these ratings may believe this so-called rating is an actual measure of my ability and proficiency as a dentist. They may leave me, and I'll be left with only the most needy patients. And my cavity average score will get even worse. On top of that, how will I attract good dental hygienists and other excellent dentists to my practice if it is labeled below average?"
"I think you are overreacting," I said. “Complaining, excuse-making and stonewalling won't improve dental health.”
"Spare me," he said, "I can't believe this. Reasonable people won't buy it," he said hopefully.
The program sounded reasonable to me, so I asked, "How else would you measure good dentistry?"
"Come watch me work," he said. "Observe my processes."
"That's too complicated, expensive and time- consuming," I said. "Cavities are the bottom line, and you can't argue with the bottom line. It's an absolute measure."
"That's what I'm afraid my parents and prospective patients will think. This can't be happening," he said despairingly.
"Now, now," I said, "don't despair. The state will help you some."
"How?" he asked.
"If you receive a poor rating, they'll send a dentist who is rated excellent to help straighten you out," I said brightly.
"You mean," he said, "they'll send a dentist with a wealthy clientele to show me how to work on severe juvenile dental problems with which I have probably had much more experience? BIG HELP!"
"There you go again," I said. "You aren't acting professionally at all."
"You don't get it," he said. "Doing this would be like grading schools and teachers on an average score made on a test of children's progress with no regard to influences outside the school, the home, the community served and stuff like that. Why would they do something so unfair to dentists? No one would ever think of doing that to schools." I just shook my head sadly, but he had brightened. "I'm going to write my representatives and senators," he said. "I'll use the school analogy. Surely they will see the point." He walked off with that look of hope mixed with fear and suppressed anger that I, a teacher, see in the mirror so often lately.
THE STORY ENDS HERE, BUT PLEASE READ ON
Unfortunately, No Child Left Behind is here and we have to deal with it. So far, our strategy seems to be to “teach the test.” A few years ago I actually heard a school board member say that all we needed to do was get a copy of the state tests and study them. Our strategy misses the point. The goal is not to improve test scores. The goal is to improve education. A few years ago I was lucky enough to win a Fullbright Fellowship to travel to Japan and study their school system first hand. Japanese schools are widely regarded among the world’s best. Their test scores go through the roof. Like most people, I suspected they were obsessed with test scores and made their students drill, drill, DRILL! I was wrong. Their philosophy is to teach the whole child. They concentrate on curriculum integration, problem-based learning, classroom projects, and other student-centered learning strategies.
I agree with the dentist in our story: When asked how he would measure good dentistry he said, "Come watch me work. Observe my processes." Yes, it is complicated and time consuming. But that’s how you improve education. You observe classroom teachers and help them get better. The school principals should be the best teachers in their schools. They should be willing to take the time, and have the ability, to show teachers how to improve classroom instruction. They should see to it that curriculum integration, problem-based learning, classroom projects, and other student-centered learning strategies are the rule rather than the exception.
As Superintendent of Schools I pledge to get out of the office and into the schools. I will work with principals to improve classroom instruction. If you’re considering other candidates for superintendent, ask them to tell you about the various instructional strategies they are familiar with. Ask them if they’ll work with principals to ensure that best practices are used in our classrooms. If they’re not, find another candidate.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Hiring the Best Certified Teachers and Administrators
Hiring the Best Certified Teachers and Administrators
In an earlier statement of my positions I stressed the importance of recruiting widely and aggressively to find the best possible candidates to fill openings for certified teaching and administrative positions. It really shouldn't be hard to figure out that the surest way to improve our schools is to hire the best people available. Simply recruiting more applicants, however, will not accomplish this. It is essential that we hire the best applicants from among those we have recruited. To this end, top performing school districts in Mississippi and throughout the nation make stakeholders part of the hiring process.
Districts accomplish this by having committees made up of teachers, administrators, parents (often PTO members), and sometimes school board members evaluate applicants for certified positions. Typically, these committees narrow down the applicant pool to a few of the best candidates and then recommend these few to whoever has the authority to make the final decision. Whoever makes that decision must pick only from among those recommended by the committee.
Obviously this process can take many forms. Let me share two of the most common models with you. In the case of a teacher hire, it is common to have three teachers, an administrator, and a parent on the evaluating committee. The teachers should be from the same subject area as the teacher being hired. The committee will go over all the applications and select about five of them to come in for interviews. Next, the committee conducts interviews to narrow the field down to the best three choices. Many districts actually have these finalists come in and teach sample lessons for further evaluation. Finally, the best three applicants are referred to whoever does the hiring. Even here, it is best not to leave the final decision to a single individual. It is best if a subject area teacher (the department head if there is one), the principal, and the superintendent make the final selection.
In the case of an administrative hire the process is pretty much the same except that the committee should be varied. The three teachers should come from three different subject areas, and a school board member should always be a member. Another difference is that, in this case, many districts leave the final decision to one person: usually the superintendent. Of course, in both cases (teacher and administrative hires) the school board must approve the final decision.
I have no doubt that this idea will be controversial. I believe most parents and taxpayers, however, will see the wisdom of involving stakeholders in the process of hiring the people who will shape our children’s futures. My guess is that those against it will be those who have up until now been making these hiring decisions without any oversight. History teaches us that oversight is essential in the public sector. Those unwilling to share their decision-making authority are in effect telling us that they know better than us, that our opinions are of little value, and that they don’t really care what we think.
If you’re thinking of voting for other candidates, ask them if they will be willing to share the hiring process with those they work for: you, the taxpayer. If they’re not, look for another candidate. It is time for the public to take back our public schools.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
In an earlier statement of my positions I stressed the importance of recruiting widely and aggressively to find the best possible candidates to fill openings for certified teaching and administrative positions. It really shouldn't be hard to figure out that the surest way to improve our schools is to hire the best people available. Simply recruiting more applicants, however, will not accomplish this. It is essential that we hire the best applicants from among those we have recruited. To this end, top performing school districts in Mississippi and throughout the nation make stakeholders part of the hiring process.
Districts accomplish this by having committees made up of teachers, administrators, parents (often PTO members), and sometimes school board members evaluate applicants for certified positions. Typically, these committees narrow down the applicant pool to a few of the best candidates and then recommend these few to whoever has the authority to make the final decision. Whoever makes that decision must pick only from among those recommended by the committee.
Obviously this process can take many forms. Let me share two of the most common models with you. In the case of a teacher hire, it is common to have three teachers, an administrator, and a parent on the evaluating committee. The teachers should be from the same subject area as the teacher being hired. The committee will go over all the applications and select about five of them to come in for interviews. Next, the committee conducts interviews to narrow the field down to the best three choices. Many districts actually have these finalists come in and teach sample lessons for further evaluation. Finally, the best three applicants are referred to whoever does the hiring. Even here, it is best not to leave the final decision to a single individual. It is best if a subject area teacher (the department head if there is one), the principal, and the superintendent make the final selection.
In the case of an administrative hire the process is pretty much the same except that the committee should be varied. The three teachers should come from three different subject areas, and a school board member should always be a member. Another difference is that, in this case, many districts leave the final decision to one person: usually the superintendent. Of course, in both cases (teacher and administrative hires) the school board must approve the final decision.
I have no doubt that this idea will be controversial. I believe most parents and taxpayers, however, will see the wisdom of involving stakeholders in the process of hiring the people who will shape our children’s futures. My guess is that those against it will be those who have up until now been making these hiring decisions without any oversight. History teaches us that oversight is essential in the public sector. Those unwilling to share their decision-making authority are in effect telling us that they know better than us, that our opinions are of little value, and that they don’t really care what we think.
If you’re thinking of voting for other candidates, ask them if they will be willing to share the hiring process with those they work for: you, the taxpayer. If they’re not, look for another candidate. It is time for the public to take back our public schools.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
Finding the Best teachers and Administrators
Finding the Best Teachers and Administrators
There are many factors that contribute to an effective school: parental involvement, student/teacher ratios, building facilities, and of course the money needed for supplies and so many other things. Our inability to completely control most of these factors is a constant challenge to public education. Fortunately, the single most important factor in providing a quality education to our children is absolutely under our control: the hiring of certified teachers and administrators.
You would be hard pressed to find a competent school administrator who would not agree that hiring the best teachers and principals available is the single most effective thing we can do to improve our schools. It should be obvious to everyone that the only way to hire the best certified people available is to look for the best certified people available. In the 20 years I have served our school district, this has not been the case. Rather than recruit the best educators available, we tend to select them from friends, family, and acquaintances. It is common for us to fill next year’s openings in the spring even though the pool of certified educators to choose from is larger in the summer. Too often positions are filled before the public even knows they are open.
I have been in contact with top-performing school districts in Mississippi and other states and have found that they attribute much of their success to recruiting widely and aggressively. Simply putting an ad in the county paper(s) is not adequate. There is much more we can do.
Perhaps our best prospect for recruiting the best certified educators is just 22 miles up the road. Mississippi State University turns out a new batch of teachers and administrators year after year. We should be actively involved in trying to convince the best and brightest of them to come to Choctaw County to work with our children. We should maintain regular contact with the MSU College of Education and the university placement service to increase our pool of prospects. Our children deserve no less.
Top performing school districts use many more recruiting techniques. Nearly all of them post every job opening they have with the Mississippi Department of Education so that teachers from around the state are aware of their vacancies. Many districts advertise their openings in our state’s large, regional, daily newspapers as well as their local weekly papers. Also, it is not uncommon to find recruiters from the best districts setting up booths at job fairs throughout Mississippi, especially at every Mississippi university that offers a teacher education program. In addition to these methods, some superintendents told me they actually call top-notch teachers and administrators who are employed and not really looking to change in order to persuade them to consider coming to a new district. When I received National Certification in English, a neighboring county contacted me to see if I’d be interested in working for them. We should be doing the same.
If I am elected Superintendent I pledge to do everything I can to actively recruit the best educators to work with our children. I will never settle for whoever is handy. If you’re leaning toward other candidates, ask them if they too are committed to finding the best available certified educators to work in Choctaw County. If they’re not, find a candidate who is. It is time for the public to take back our public schools.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
There are many factors that contribute to an effective school: parental involvement, student/teacher ratios, building facilities, and of course the money needed for supplies and so many other things. Our inability to completely control most of these factors is a constant challenge to public education. Fortunately, the single most important factor in providing a quality education to our children is absolutely under our control: the hiring of certified teachers and administrators.
You would be hard pressed to find a competent school administrator who would not agree that hiring the best teachers and principals available is the single most effective thing we can do to improve our schools. It should be obvious to everyone that the only way to hire the best certified people available is to look for the best certified people available. In the 20 years I have served our school district, this has not been the case. Rather than recruit the best educators available, we tend to select them from friends, family, and acquaintances. It is common for us to fill next year’s openings in the spring even though the pool of certified educators to choose from is larger in the summer. Too often positions are filled before the public even knows they are open.
I have been in contact with top-performing school districts in Mississippi and other states and have found that they attribute much of their success to recruiting widely and aggressively. Simply putting an ad in the county paper(s) is not adequate. There is much more we can do.
Perhaps our best prospect for recruiting the best certified educators is just 22 miles up the road. Mississippi State University turns out a new batch of teachers and administrators year after year. We should be actively involved in trying to convince the best and brightest of them to come to Choctaw County to work with our children. We should maintain regular contact with the MSU College of Education and the university placement service to increase our pool of prospects. Our children deserve no less.
Top performing school districts use many more recruiting techniques. Nearly all of them post every job opening they have with the Mississippi Department of Education so that teachers from around the state are aware of their vacancies. Many districts advertise their openings in our state’s large, regional, daily newspapers as well as their local weekly papers. Also, it is not uncommon to find recruiters from the best districts setting up booths at job fairs throughout Mississippi, especially at every Mississippi university that offers a teacher education program. In addition to these methods, some superintendents told me they actually call top-notch teachers and administrators who are employed and not really looking to change in order to persuade them to consider coming to a new district. When I received National Certification in English, a neighboring county contacted me to see if I’d be interested in working for them. We should be doing the same.
If I am elected Superintendent I pledge to do everything I can to actively recruit the best educators to work with our children. I will never settle for whoever is handy. If you’re leaning toward other candidates, ask them if they too are committed to finding the best available certified educators to work in Choctaw County. If they’re not, find a candidate who is. It is time for the public to take back our public schools.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
Mamrak to Run for Superintendent
By now you may be aware that I am running for Superintendent of the Choctaw County Schools. Unlike some of the other candidates, I am not a life-long Choctaw County resident. I did not arrive here by the circumstance of my birth. It is safe to say that none of the candidates chose to be born here. Some were just lucky. I, however, made a deliberate decision to live here. I’ve traveled throughout America, in Asia, Europe, and Latin America – but Choctaw County is where I chose to raise my family. When my parents got too old to care for themselves, I brought them to Choctaw County as well. I buried my Dad in South Union cemetery in 2005.
At this point it is customary to tell you all about myself. I’m not going to do much of that for two reasons: First, it would probably bore you. Second, I wouldn’t want you to vote for me because of who I am. I want you to vote for me because I understand what is wrong with Choctaw County’s schools and I know how to fix them. Still, for those who have no idea who I am let me say this: I am in my 20th year pastoring New Zion Baptist Church which was founded 165 years ago. Prior to my arrival, the longest any one man ever served our church was seven years. (Statistics show that Southern Baptist pastors serve their churches an average of about two years before moving on.) I’ve been married to the same wonderful woman for 36 years; we have two grown children and one grandchild. Call me if you want to know more, and I’ll tell you my life story.
I will, however, list my academic qualifications, as they are pertinent to the superintendent’s position. I have a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in public relations. I have a master’s degree in educational leadership. I have finished the coursework for a doctorate in educational leadership and should have my PhD before the year ends. I am a nationally certified English teacher, and I am certified by the state of Mississippi in English, art, journalism, and administration. I have successfully competed for government grants that I used to study the school systems in both Japan and Germany.
It is unlikely that I will come to your house and personally ask for your vote during this campaign. I firmly believe that one of our school system’s problems is that we tend to elect the most popular candidate for superintendent rather than the most qualified. That may be OK for high school yearbook Who’s Who elections, but it is a mistake when selecting the person charged with shaping the future of our children. The ability to knock on doors, hand out business cards, and shake hands are not the best qualifications for the superintendent of our schools.
Whoever you vote for in this election, please vote based on the issues. Above all, don’t vote for anyone who tells you that our schools are doing fine, and that there are no serious issues. Over the next few months I will address several different issues. Most of them, however, stem from one over-riding problem: the public has lost control of our public schools. For too long our schools have been run like a private business.
We say we want parental involvement when in reality we only want parental approval. We say we want to hire the best certified educators available when in reality we don’t recruit beyond our friends, families, and aquaintances. We allow public educators, paid with our hard earned tax dollars, to make decisions behind closed doors and without our input: decisions that will determine our children’s futures. Perhaps it is acceptable to run a privately owned candy store this way, but not schools established to serve the public. It has got to stop. It is time to take back our schools.
A serious discussion of the issues cannot take place in small advertisements, on yard signs, and on business cards. Therefore, I suggest that all the candidates appear before the voters in a public panel discussion where they can explain their positions and answer the public’s questions. In addition, I will post all of my positions and proposals on the Internet (http://bobmamrak.blogspot.com/) so voters can evaluate them thoughtfully.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
PS: This article was initially posted on March 22, 2007. It was reposted when this blog was created.
At this point it is customary to tell you all about myself. I’m not going to do much of that for two reasons: First, it would probably bore you. Second, I wouldn’t want you to vote for me because of who I am. I want you to vote for me because I understand what is wrong with Choctaw County’s schools and I know how to fix them. Still, for those who have no idea who I am let me say this: I am in my 20th year pastoring New Zion Baptist Church which was founded 165 years ago. Prior to my arrival, the longest any one man ever served our church was seven years. (Statistics show that Southern Baptist pastors serve their churches an average of about two years before moving on.) I’ve been married to the same wonderful woman for 36 years; we have two grown children and one grandchild. Call me if you want to know more, and I’ll tell you my life story.
I will, however, list my academic qualifications, as they are pertinent to the superintendent’s position. I have a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in public relations. I have a master’s degree in educational leadership. I have finished the coursework for a doctorate in educational leadership and should have my PhD before the year ends. I am a nationally certified English teacher, and I am certified by the state of Mississippi in English, art, journalism, and administration. I have successfully competed for government grants that I used to study the school systems in both Japan and Germany.
It is unlikely that I will come to your house and personally ask for your vote during this campaign. I firmly believe that one of our school system’s problems is that we tend to elect the most popular candidate for superintendent rather than the most qualified. That may be OK for high school yearbook Who’s Who elections, but it is a mistake when selecting the person charged with shaping the future of our children. The ability to knock on doors, hand out business cards, and shake hands are not the best qualifications for the superintendent of our schools.
Whoever you vote for in this election, please vote based on the issues. Above all, don’t vote for anyone who tells you that our schools are doing fine, and that there are no serious issues. Over the next few months I will address several different issues. Most of them, however, stem from one over-riding problem: the public has lost control of our public schools. For too long our schools have been run like a private business.
We say we want parental involvement when in reality we only want parental approval. We say we want to hire the best certified educators available when in reality we don’t recruit beyond our friends, families, and aquaintances. We allow public educators, paid with our hard earned tax dollars, to make decisions behind closed doors and without our input: decisions that will determine our children’s futures. Perhaps it is acceptable to run a privately owned candy store this way, but not schools established to serve the public. It has got to stop. It is time to take back our schools.
A serious discussion of the issues cannot take place in small advertisements, on yard signs, and on business cards. Therefore, I suggest that all the candidates appear before the voters in a public panel discussion where they can explain their positions and answer the public’s questions. In addition, I will post all of my positions and proposals on the Internet (http://bobmamrak.blogspot.com/) so voters can evaluate them thoughtfully.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
PS: This article was initially posted on March 22, 2007. It was reposted when this blog was created.
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