Teamwork main focus at education summit

The students, displays and activities ranged from a state championship softball team to dinosaurs and robots.

But primarily the Third Annual Education Summit and Showcase was a chance for Dothan City Schools employees, parents and others to demonstrate what teamwork can accomplish.

The event, held Thursday night at Wiregrass Commons Mall, drew hundreds who heard how people are getting involved in supporting Dothan City Schools. It also showed examples of things happening at each school.

The rally emphasized the need for the community to get involved in public education.

“The success of this city and its education system is a public and a private issue,” said Superintendent Tim Wilder.

“We’re all in this together,” Wilder said. “Whether your child attends public or private schools remember this: These students will be your bosses one day. These students will be educating your children and your grandchildren. They will be your lawmakers. They will be the nurse who takes your blood. They’ll be your attorneys, and most importantly they’ll be your fellow neighbors.”

Allyson Morgan, DCS director of secondary curriculum services, introduced four city schools who highlighted their community and school partnership teams as part of the DCS/Yes We Can! Dothan co-owned Strategic Plan In Action.

The event was sponsored by the grassroots education movement Yes We Can! Dothan in partnership with the Wiregrass Foundation, the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, the Education Foundation for Dothan’s Future Inc. and the mall.

The elementary and secondary teachers of the year were recognized and Wilder presented a “State of the School System” address.

Wilder said when he began his job in July 2011, his first goal was to “effectively communicate with the people of Dothan and the employees of Dothan City Schools to learn what is working and what is needed.”

He outlined numerous goals for the system, which has 21 schools, more than 9,400 students and almost 1,200 employees. One of his priorities is to keep kids in school until they graduate.

“We want to increase school enrollment participation in our high schools and continue to lower the dropout rate and increase the graduation rate in Dothan, and it will happen,” Wilder said.

He said tough choices made by the school board have improved the financial picture for the system.

“We’re operating with over one and half months worth of operating reserve, which exceeds the requirements of Alabama state law,” he said.

“This positive result within our budget has been developed by making very tough and painful decisions. Our school board is ever mindful of the impact of their decisions on people, their families and their livelihoods,” Wilder said.

“This however, does not minimize the necessity for better funding for our schools,” he said. “Our legislative delegation has been willing to sit down with me and talk frankly and openly about our budget and how unfunded mandates in education hurt our education system.”

Wilder said he believes that you cannot have good learning conditions until you first have good teaching conditions.

“One of the best things we can do for a teacher is to allow them to be creative, to be flexible and be comfortable with using their own techniques, learning styles and their personality,” he said. “If we do not do this for our teachers in this country, we’re losing out on the best chance that we’ve ever had to create these same attitudes in our children.”

Wilder said community involvement is one key to success.

“Over the last six months, I’ve made over 40 visits to clubs, organizations, businesses, homes, community events seeking input,” he said. “We will have a strong community presence in Dothan. We will continue to hear you and your concerns and suggestions.”