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As we emerge from the pandemic, it is important to establish our foundation with a commitment to becoming our own rock. Being our own rock is both rewarding and promising because it is an expression of extreme ownership, a recognition that after all we have been through during the pandemic , we are immovable and committed to a foundation upon which to build our future for the health, safety, and academic performance of our students.

Our foundation should be built upon internal accountability. External accountability is not possible without a commitment to internal accountability. For the past two years, expectations have been relaxed because our primary concern was the day-to-day response to the pandemic. Many families chose virtual learning, which meant we had fewer students in school. However, with the start of the new school year and our campuses full, we embrace a commitment to internal accountability. We start this new school year with a commitment to professional expectations for staff and increased behavioral and academic expectations for students.

Our foundation should also be built on the Professional Learning Community. In a PLC, administrative leaders, support staff, teachers and parents focus on the learning of each and every student, holding themselves accountable to results. They ask the all-important question, “What are we going to do if this student does not learn?” The PLC process individualizes instruction by meeting the needs of each student and can enhance the partnership between parents and the school.

The PLC team provides interventions that fit into a Multi-Tiered System of Supports. The MTSS process is a systemic framework that helps educators and parents provide academic and behavioral strategies for students with various needs. Academic and behavioral support decisions are not made haphazardly or left to chance. Every decision the PLC makes is intentional and focused on what is best for the student.

The foundation of our secondary programs should be built upon "Capturing Kids’ Hearts." All learning begins in the heart. According to the renowned child psychologist Haim Ginott, “To reach a child’s mind, a teacher must capture his heart. Only if a child feels right can he think right.”

By consistently implementing processes that build strong, productive relationships with all students, the result should be decreased discipline referrals, increased attendance, increased graduation rates, increased teacher satisfaction and increased student achievement. When we are relational and intentional, we can become transformational.

Our foundation should also be built upon a commitment to school safety and increased classroom behavioral expectations. We have multiple armed School Resource Officers and School Safety Officers. We routinely conduct various emergency drills with the emergency response teams in the city of Tupelo. We are in the process of establishing secondary entrances at every school, and all doors remain locked throughout the school day. In addition, we have 24/7 video surveillance in our schools and athletic facilities. The safety and security of our staff and students must be our highest priority.

In addition to school safety, our foundation must be built upon a clearly defined discipline ladder and an achievable set of behavioral expectations. Our students must be held accountable to productive behavior in our classrooms.

Our foundation should also be built upon a commitment to innovation and creativity. We have already initiated programs such as the Middle College, JROTC, Project Search and Project Lead the Way. We have also invested heavily in our extra-curricular, arts integration and music programs. As we continue our commitment to being a District of Innovation, we will strive to ensure all students in grades Pre-K through 12 are not only exposed to, but explore and engage in, college and career-related activities. At the secondary level, we are committed to preparing our students for industries of today and aspirational industries that do not yet exist by focusing on career academies.

Finally, our foundation should be built upon a commitment to celebrate and have fun. A core belief on which to build our foundation needs to be that school should be a place of celebration and joy. Our administrators, support staff, teachers, parents and students have carried us through the pandemic in heroic style with professionalism and grace. As we rebuild our foundation, we express our gratitude for their heroic efforts and celebrate their successes.

A student asked me the other day if I can think of the one reason TPSD is such a special place. That is an impossible question to answer because there is no one reason. There are 7,000 students, 1,200 employees, all our many partners in the community and our parents. There are more than 10,000 reasons. The reason TPSD is such a special place is because of our people and our community. As we continue this new school year and rebuild our foundation, let’s all lean in and become our own rock!

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DR. ROB PICOU is the superintendent of the Tupelo Public School District. Readers can contact him at rjpicou@tupeloschools.com.

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