City School Board: Mary Wade on The Murfreesboro Post

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City School Board: Mary Wade

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Posted: Monday, March 15, 2010 1:24 pm

Mary Wade

Name: Mary McKnight Wade
Occupation: Auto Claims Representative with State Farm Insurance, 38 years
Education: MTSU – B.S.
Campaign Web site: www.marywade.vpweb.com

Why are you running?
My passion for quality education has inspired me to continue to work toward that enhancement of opportunities for youth in our schools. I consider it a priviledge to represent the citizens of Murfreesboro.

My years of service as a school board member have put me in a position to see first hand the importance of working closely with the staff, administration, children, parents and teachers. I want to continue to work toward the enhancement of educational opportunities for the youth in our city schools.

During my tenure as a school board member, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many people from many walks of life. Every individual who works within our school system has an important role to play. The future success of our children lies in everyone doing their part. We cannot afford to become complacent in working toward making the educational experiences of our children the best that they can be.

When re-elected, I will continue to lead with diplomacy, fairness and tact. I am, however, encouraged by the future, and trust that we can achieve more is we continue to champion for quality education for the future leaders of our community, our state and our nation — these leaders are our Children.

It has been an honor to serve the Murfreesboro community. As a member of the school board, we have been able to accomplish some important things, but there is still more work to be done. If you honor me once again be re-electing me to Murfreesboro City School Board, I will work as hard for you in the future as I have in the past.

What is the most pressing issue facing city schools and your possible solution?
I believe that substantial growth in all areas continues to be a challenge for the community of Murfreesboro. Growth, however, provides a unique opportunity to maintain or further develop effective networks and relationships throughout the community to leverage shared resources available to us. Given the current state of limited funding, Murfreesboro City Schools has been appropriately and adequately managed financially. The system, however, continues to put in place a number of structures and systems that support the need to maintain a balanced budget.

Restructuring initiatives in the Rutherford County Schools will offset future growth experienced in the past. Therefore, these initiatives could have a significant impact to our student enrollment. According to current growth, we will work closely with the Murfreesboro City Planning Department to monitor projected development, particularly in the southwest corridor.

What would you do to improve areas in which MCS failed to meet No Child Left Behind benchmarks?
As you know, public education has experienced a variety of reform movements in the past 25 years. Whether we refer to reform as No Child Left Behind or Race to the Top, these major federal initiatives should always have student achievement as the focus. RTTT is, however, different in design and impact than its predecessors sice the Federal Department of Education is positioned to award approximately $4.3 billion to states to fund educational innovative initiatives in the form of competitive grants.

The bottom line is that schools systems throughout America will receive funding to fund the development and implementation of innovative education programs. The RTTT program includes a number of eligibility and section criteria that will stimulate changes in linking student achievement or student growth data to teachers for the purpose of teachers’ and principals’ evaluations. This means that teachers and those with a vested interest in the field of public education must be prepared to be full partners in determining the development and direction of education policies in Tennessee.

Our job is to provide a solid support network for teachers and students in the effort to ensure that every child is taught by highly effective, caring, committed teachers.

As board members, we must encourage our educators to understand and utilize the test data in providing instruction to students. It is important that schools analyze the results from TCAP to determine areas of strength and areas of weakness as related to test performance. Efforts then need to be made to maintain the strong areas while placing increased focus on the areas of weakness.

What is your position on the consolidation of Murfreesboro City with Rutherford County Schools?
I believe consolidation is a process that needs intense investigation before implementation, it is important to examine the positives and negatives as related to what is best for the pre-K through sixth-grade children of Murfreesboro.

Murfreesboro City Schools is unique in that our schools provide focused strategies that address the needs of the city’s youngest school-age children. Currently, developmental learning is of prime importance in our system, as we lay the foundation upon which educational development is built. It is crucial not to lose sight of that focus. In addition, we must consider the concerns of the general public regarding the impact of consolidation. Much discussion is needed with input from the public before a decision is made regarding consolidation of the school systems.

Tagged under Elections, MCS

Member Opinions:

By: bbb123 on 3/19/10
As a parent with children in MCS, my concern is the lack of programs for high achievers and gifted in our ZONED schools. There is a misconception they can only be served at Discovery (by many administrators). Since Discovery opened, Merit has been dropped from MCS and many in the system will tell you the zoned schools don't need it. I think they do and that is the way this system can come off the NCLB Watch list. Although we have many struggling students, we are ignoring the fact that we are a DIVERSE system & we also have high achievers and gifted at ALL schools including the zoned schools. On the North end (especially the schools we have tried to socio-balanced) I am seeing MCS lose alot of high achievers and gifted to private schools like St. Rose, Providence, MCS, home schooled, zoning waivers to county and even moving out of Murfreesboro citing the lack of advanced programming. It was only when Oakland created both the IB program & programs for struggling that it came off the NCLB watch list - it is time for MSC to do the same. Smyrna Primary (another title 1 school) just started and inducted students in to the National Honor Society. There is no reason some of the programs at Discovery, Merit, National Honor Society, and stronger programs for high achievers and gifted in general cannot be implemented at ALL zoned schools. I think these programs will add tremendously to a great system where we really have wonderful teachers and leaders!

By: kevinfisher on 3/20/10
I agree.We need to do more to provide rewards for children who excel, and at the same time,offer incentives to encorage them to continuue to excel and even challenge them academically.I'm a firm believer in school choice and voucher programs.Let the parents choose where they are going to send their child to school.Give them options.