Directors Discuss Collaboration, Student Success

The ever-changing world of being a local schools director, one of the main topics covered during the just-completed 75th annual Superintendent Study Council Conference.

DeKalb County Director of Schools Patrick Cripps joined many local leaders in attendance. He said the conference provides important information about current events and new legislation affecting public education. Cripps said they had many different issues to discuss as their field has become much more complex in recent years.

“You know it’d be nice if you could just focus on academics and that’s it but we’re dealing with behaviors, classroom behaviors,” Cripps said. “We’re seeing more and more of things that we haven’t seen before and so, you know, we’re all just looking for resources, things that we can find to help support those students.”

Cripps said there was also conversation about how to help teachers so they can better educate students and encourage them to grow. Cripps said the conference was a good opportunity to share ideas and brainstorm solutions with other directors from within the Upper Cumberland and beyond.

“It’s just nice to be able to get together and work together as a group,” Cripps said. “It’s always nice to know that you have a group that you can call on and work with at any time.”

Cripps said the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents spoke at the conference about several new groups they are putting together to study certain aspects of education.

“One of the things that I’m really interested in and hope that I get to be a part of the group is the mental illness side of students,” Cripps said. “What ways we can help better support them, those that are struggling with different needs, so that we can better prepare them for their daily walk of life.”

Cripps said that project does not have a concrete timeline as they are still forming the groups that will carry it out.

“We’re all facing different issues with student behaviors,” Cripps said. “And so that we can hopefully be able to find some kind of resource or help out there that will help support those students and our teachers in the classroom.”