The three names left in the superintendent election all have one thing in mind: the students of Lowndes County.
With the election only four days away, Rusty Greene, Cliff Reynolds and Lynn Wright all shared their thoughts and plans if elected the next Lowndes County school superintendent Thursday at the Columbus Exchange Club meeting. The three educators reminded the audience that the students are most important, but plan to improve Lowndes County public schools in different ways.
Greene — a life-long Columbus resident who received a Bachelor’s degree from Mississippi University for Women and a Master’s degree from the University of Mississippi — is the Independent candidate. Greene expressed the need for better communication between the teachers and the school district’s central office.
“The central office has the perception of many teachers that they sit over there in the office and dictate what everyone is going to do,” Greene said, noting he wants to implement a teamwork approach “not only with teachers, but with parents also.
“We could do a whole lot better in talking to each other.”
Green believes this teamwork mentality, along with implementing creative ideas, will help the school district change with the times.
“For us to not have technology in every single classroom every single day is a shame,” Greene said, noting it will be a “top priority” to implement technology into the classroom and provide top-notch teachers.
“The number one thing that will change education is a quality teacher in front of every single classroom.”
Reynolds — a lifelong Lowndes County resident who earned his Bachelor’s degree from MUW, Master’s degree from Mississippi State University and served in the U.S. Army — also said school has changed a lot through the years, and teachers must have energy and desire.
“A teacher is like any job; you need people that want to be there,” he said.
Reynolds, the Democrat candidate, stressed a needed improvement in communication, public relations and visibility.
“I think, for the most part, our employees don’t feel good about being part of our school district,” he said, noting he also wants to improve student achievement, expand vocational education, implement sound fiscal policies, re-examine the use of personnel in the school district and create partnerships with local industries.
Reynolds identified the race as “a gentleman’s campaign” and said he had a lot of respect for his two opponents, and the race “is not about personality; it’s about our children.”
Wright, the Republican candidate, is focused on adding a centralized vocational school for some students with the idea of offering more opportunities besides just college.
“Not everyone will go to college,” he said.
The centralized school would allow students to get industry-identified training in specific classes, Wright said, and it could include a dual enrollment-dual credit partnership with East Mississippi Community College.
Wright also said discipline in schools is a problem and creating vocational schools could keep students focused.
“If our students have more opportunities…then they probably won’t be so involved with more distractions in the classroom,” he said.
According to Wright, gifted teachers and role models are needed for the positions.
“We want to hire not only those who inspire learning but those who lead by example,” Wright said.
He also thinks there are a lot of programs, many of which are good, and he wants to assess the current school programs and focus on quality over quantity.
Greene has 17 years of experience in the Lowndes County School District, with time spent as a West Lowndes High School teacher and coach, the Caledonia Middle School assistant principal and now the Columbus High School athletic director.
Reynolds has 22 years of experience in education with 16 in the Lowndes County School District. He spent 12 years at New Hope High School and called it “some of the best years in my career.” He then became West Lowndes High School principal.
Wright was born in Columbus and attended the University of Alabama and the University of West Alabama. He has 35 years of education experience with 28 years coming as a principal or headmaster. He worked in numerous school districts before coming to Lowndes County and working for three years as the New Hope High School principal.
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