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Thomas: Escambia Schools Need To Aim Higher
July 26, 2016
Educators must change their mindset to move forward, rather than falling further behind.
That was the message Monday from Escambia County Superintendent Malcolm Thomas as he addressed school administrators and some of the district’s teachers Monday at Washington High School.
Citing the book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” from author Carol Dweck, Thomas said a fixed mindset is unacceptable when compared to a growth mindset.
“There are fixed mindsets that believe that there is going to be no change, that children will have a certain IQ just because of their zip code. But we need a growth mindset, that we can develop the mind and achieve acceptable results,” Thomas told NorthEscambia.com after the speech.
“Our problem isn’t that we are arming too high and missing the mark,” Thomas said, referencing and paraphrasing a quote from Michelangelo. “Our problem is that we are aiming too low, and we are successful.”
“There are teachers in the system that have been there a long time, and they teach like they have always taught. A shift has to be made toward the growth mindset,” he said.
Escambia County’s district grade from the state dropped this last school year from a B to a C, and many individual schools also experience a drop in their school grade. Thomas said he does not care about test scores if children are learning at the level they need to learn, but he said that is not happening overall.
“We are obsessed with tests and standards. We need to be teaching every day and making sure the kids are learning at the right level.”
Students return to class in Escambia County on August 10.
Pictured top: Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas addresses administrators and faculty Monday at Washington High School. Pictured below: Administrators and faculty listen to Thomas, including (foreground, L-R) Northview High Assistant Principal Gerry Pippins, Northview High Principal Gayle Weaver, Ernest Ward Middle teacher Laura Chavers, Ernest Ward Principal Nancy Gindl Perry and Ernest Ward Assistant Principal Virkeisha Palmer. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
9 Responses to “Thomas: Escambia Schools Need To Aim Higher”
I politely disagree with the superintendent. Poverty is an issue when a kid comes home to no one, and has no idea if there will be anything to eat. Teachers can be kind, considerate, understanding and put the best curriculum out for students, but the teachers can not follow them home and take care of them. Early 1900s social workers were sent out in the northeast to help poor immigrant families with basic teaching of life skills. We eventually will have to do that again to get this under control.
People want to blame the administration at the schools. No offense I don’t think that’s the problem. Its parents at home that don’t take the amount of time up with thier children that they need to. As a parent myself, I try and help with thier homework and I help and do with what matters to them. But it’s NOT our principles or assistant principalsThey are all amazing woman and men at the North End. And Mr Malcolm Thomas does a great job.
In the 1980’snow the Escambia County School District adopted a program called TEACHER EXPECTATION-STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT otherwise known as TESA that dealt with this concern. The basic premise was with higher expectations the student will strive for greater goals…and aside note here though, all the programs in the world put together won’t change the fact that that student spends only a small portion of his/her time in a classroom compared to their outside environment..with so many variables and outside influences,one of the realities a teacher has to deal with is that the only thing that they can control is their classroom environment. A COMPASSIONATE, CARING, SUCCESSFUL TEACHER WILL TO PROVIDE THAT POSITIVE, NURTURING ENVIRONMENT IN THE CLASSROOM SO THAT ALL STUDENTS WILL REACH FOR THE STARS.
Many families have no educational interest in their children. They receive monetary rewards for their conception. The government, etal, takes care of them, and local charities “cram the van” to give them school supplies. Now, the Democratic party wants to give the students a “free” college education if the family does not meet a $125,000 yearly income. How did that “free” high school education work out for you Chippie?
Do college professors, and administrators receive any salary from tuition fees? If there is no tuition, who is going to pay ? Just a rhetorical question.
Mothers went to work to pay for cable TV and new jogging shoes and the children fell to pieces. This is a book, it doesn’t fit in a comment . I never had a teacher who couldn’t teach well. Because every student knew she/he was the boss. It was very rare a teacher was questioned about how they treated a student. I don’t understand why teachers even try anymore. I love kids, but I sure wouldn’t want to spend the day with a roomful of them. God bless them and no the teachers are not the problem Mr Thomas, the parents are.
Administrators and politicians must change their mindset to move forward, rather than falling further behind. Lack of proper discipline has taken over the schools. “Suspension” is no longer an option no matter the disruption or offense. Teacher’s never taught by zip codes Mr. Thomas. You take for an example that 16 year old child this week who escaped from the police and allegedly kicked a policeman in the face. Where did he learn this? From a “teacher”? How about from a “zip code”? I remember watching him at an early age of 6-9. He was bad then, as he is now. I could have predicted his outcome. I believe his disrespect for authority and his bad behavior was brought to the attention of his family and administrators. So what happened? A child doesn’t behave because he doesn’t want to behave. You can entertain them all you want with toys and computers, Mr. Politician and Mr. Administrator. You have failed along with bad parenting to demand proper behavior and respect.
If you personally know a teacher then you know all the struggles they go through on a daily basis. Unfortunately teachers CAN’T just teach anymore! There are so many politics that are in our schools! The Principle & Asst. Principal are the ones that set the example for the teachers! If a school is having an issue, look to the top of the administration first! Move them around and see if you get better results?
Teachers do not get paid what they deserve but for the teacher I know this doesn’t make a difference in how she treats & tries to teach her students! The teachers these days are treated like robots, they can’t teach properly. They have their whole entire day planned out for them, they have strict time limits to teach one subject that has been given to them to teach one certain way & must move to the next subject ASAP!
Does anyone personally know how much paperwork they have to bring home with them? It is insane! I truly never knew until my close friend became a teacher & I have witnessed how hard she works! She will come home from school, take a 30 minute break & jump right into her “after school’ teaching duties. Which take up anywhere from 2 to 5 hours depending on what’s going on at school at that time.
She is one of those people that picks up really quick, can work diligently through distractions & she is still spending several HOURS a week at home because they do not give them time throughout the day to complete these such task.
Our school system needs to be revamped & I truly believe it needs to start at the top starting with the Principles & Asst. Principles.
I have personally dealt with Mr. Thomas on a few occasions and I REALLY like him! He is there when you need him, if you have an issue Mr. Thomas himself will take care of the issue to ensure it has been resolved! This is VERY impressive to me!
We need to ALL pray for our teachers, children & our leaders to make the child the number one priority & leave the political agenda issues to the politicians!
Thank you Mr. Malcolm Thomas for all that you do!
If the teachers had some assistance from the parents their job would be much more successful. When billboards display that juvenile crime spikes in the summer, as a paid advertisement, our educational problems are not the teachers but the home.
Mr. Thomas; Maybe you need to consider the possibility that you are the one that is “missing the mark”, and it’s not the “teachers that have been here a long time”. You have saddled the teachers, students, and parents with a curriculum that is so disjointed and disorganized that a parent can not even help their children with simple math homework. You are leading the way to a generation of citizens that will have to mark their “X” on contracts and checks because you have chosen to not teach cursive handwriting. You have hired and given tenure to teachers that can not communicate with complete sentences that are correct in grammar and spelling. Maybe you should consider consulting with the “teachers that have been here for a long time”, and go back to methods and curriculum that passed the test of time instead of trying every new idea that comes down the pike.