Wright: Schools must do things differently
Mississippi’s schools must do things differently if they want to get different results, Carey Wright said on Monday.
The new state superintendent of education was the keynote speaker at Monday’s meeting of the Rotary Club of Tupelo. Her remarks focused on the need to expand early childhood offerings, to raise academic standards and to enhance career and technical programs. She also outlined statistics about the state’s educational struggles.
“We need to be open and honest about where we are if we intend to change that,” she said.
Wright said she wants all students to have access to a high-quality early childhood program that prepares them for kindergarten not only academically but also socially and emotionally. That doesn’t mean it would be mandatory, she said, but that all parents would have that option for their children.
That would include programs for 3- and 4-year-old children with high-quality teachers trained to know and meet the needs of those children. They would introduce students to literacy and also teach them skills like sharing, controlling their behavior and taking turns.
“For me, it is providing that kind of program across the state for all children,” she said.
Wright touted the Common Core State Standards, stressing that they set the bar high for students but that local school districts still have control over how they meet the goals set by the benchmarks.
Daily Journal
2/18/14
