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Escambia County Superintendent Heads Back To School With Big Goals For The Year
August 11, 2023
Escambia County interim School Superintendent Keith Leonard started his first day of school by visiting several schools across the North Escambia area.
And, like hundreds of parents Thursday morning, he spent time waiting in a car rider line. Leonard used the time trying to reach a parking space at Northview High School making phone calls to make sure everything was going smoothly across the county.
Making it inside before the first period bell at Northview, Leonard said he has three big goals for the district this year.
“We’ve got three priorities that we’re going to really be focused on early,” he said. “That’s going to be behavior, positive behavior with our students. Attendance; when we have students in school I want to have them in school acting right so that they can learn. And then morale, stability, recruit, retain…being a good place each and every day. And I think that’ll only lead to academic improvement and success in school and in life.”
Last year was the first year of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) testing in the state’s schools, and Leonard said that will be a big focus for the district this year.
“We’ll be doing quarterly reports to be able to review where all of our students are academically. There will be Individual Education Plans (IEPs) set up for our students so that they can continue to improve. And also when I use the word stability, make certain that people feel good and feel valued if know that we care about them and we love them. That we’re really all in this together.”
Leonard said that he is looking forward to the year in the interim superintendent position.
“We have a really good team that we have assembled. They are all experts in their own fields, letting them do their jobs. Then what I will do as a leader is provide them support where they need that support.”
Pictured top: Escambia County interim School Superintendent Keith Leonard (right) speaks with Northview High Principal Michael Sherrill and Dean Somer Bridges Thursday morning. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
12 Responses to “Escambia County Superintendent Heads Back To School With Big Goals For The Year”
Man I hope he wasn’t late for home room!! Not sure what was worse getting licks for
Being late a 3rd time or your baseball coach tell your dad — Mr Williams wake this boy up so he isn’t late for school!! Double down on the licks and driving!!
I have known Keith Leonard since 2nd grade he is a good guy and has our kids best interest at heart , as well as his mom and dad did. Good family glad to know he’s superintendent! Good luck to you Mr Keith Leonard you will do well!
I have great faith in Keith Leonard as our leader of this district. He has priorities that can be met. As a teacher in one of the biggest elementary schools in our district, we need smaller class sizes in all grade levels. It is very difficult to teach to master when there are 20-25 students sitting in each classroom.
Best wishes and good luck to my fellow Aggie, Keith Leonard.
Make the school district great!!!
Keith was great help at Beulah the first day of school. He came out in the heat and helped with our car rider line. It was hot and he was there to help in any way we needed him! He is in it for the right reasons. It is great to see someone that you can actually call and trust him to listen and be there.
Mr. Leonard will do just fine… until the honeymoon ends.
Then he will be blamed for C, D, and F scores. Or low morale. Or a spending issue. Or a tragedy.
As The Who once concluded, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”
It is a major step forward to have someone that has been born and raised where our children attend school . Keith Leonard has devoted his life and goals to Escambia County …..we are blessed to have him step up and fill this position. He is truly a leader tried and true !
It is high time to take the “interim” off Mr. Leonard’s title. I believe he has the best interests of our children at heart. Bringing in “experts” (just some fellow from out of town) has proven to be a disaster. Mr. Leonard is one of us, he knows what he is doing and we need the consistency that his leadership will bring!
Mr Leonard is doing a great job so far. Had he been chosen the first time we would have been so much better off, and could have avoided so many negative disruptive events that took place in the short time the last superintendent was here. The morale is so much better now and I believe that once again this is a place where employees want to work.
These are really good goals. Might I add that in order to have good behavior there needs to be consequences for bad behavior. And consistent with each offense.
I believe Mr. Leonard will do a great job. Hopefully some positive changes will happen. Having a background in our local schools I believe he will get us where we need to be.
So refreshing to see our school superintendent out visiting our schools again…as a 33year former teacher from Escambia County, we WE ALL HAVE A STAKE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR FUTURE…GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR STAFF, MR. KEITH LEONARD.