Dr. Ryder Warren Outlines MISD Goals
By: Dr. Ryder Warren, MISD Superintendent
Updated: August 18, 2010
The Midland Independent School District’s theme this year is “In Pursuit of Excellence.” The faculty and staff have already begun to work toward that goal, and we are excited about getting the kids back. As we prepare for our first day of school, I want to make everyone aware of our goals for this school year. Our MISD Board of Trustees has adopted six overarching goals which we will aspire to achieve this school year. The goals are as follows:
Goal One – MISD will challenge and prepare all students to obtain a post-secondary education.
Goal Two – MISD will close the achievement gaps among all student population groups.
Goal Three – MISD will recruit, develop, and recognize employees who work as a team to accomplish the district goals.
Goal Four – MISD will meet or exceed the technology standards for the education community.
Goal Five – MISD will achieve a high degree of parent and community satisfaction.
Goal Six – MISD will exercise fiscal responsibility and efficiency.
Preparing students for a post-secondary education is an expectation we are really going to focus on this year. We’ve discussed at length the need for our students to understand that their high school diploma is the true beginning of their educational endeavors. Post-secondary educations look different for our students, but the learning has to continue. Our ultimate goal is to produce graduates of which this community will take great pride and who are ready to meet the demands of the next level of learning.
Goal two necessitates closing the achievement gaps that exist between our different groups of students in the district. The best thing our legislature and the Texas Education Agency ever did was to mandate the separation of our accountability system into separate subgroups. These subgroups include ethnicity (Hispanic, White, African American, Asian, and American Indian). The student groups are also identified if the home income falls into the low socioeconomic range. Analyzing our testing outcomes from the 2009-10 school year, we see definite gaps between some of our subgroups, and our goal is to fill these gaps and have all children excelling.
In reference to goal three, my opinion as both the superintendent and as a parent of MISD is that we are very blessed with the team of educators and support staff we have in the district. Our classroom teachers will be tasked to challenge our students like never before, and the members who make up the rest of the team are going to do everything we can to support our teachers in that challenge. As the goal states, we want to make sure we are recruiting the very best to Midland, we are training them in the very best ways to reach the kids, and we are recognizing and rewarding excellence.
I believe goal four is one of the most important to achieve and maintain because of the digital society in which our children will live. No matter what career path our kids choose today, technology will impact their lives. As a community and as a school district, we must understand the constant challenges and opportunities technology poses for our children, and we must devise an infrastructure in our schools that prepares the kids to meet and exceed these challenges.
Goal five alludes to the importance of our parents and our community in the learning process. Without the support of parents, caregivers, and taxpayers, I feel none of our goals will be realized. MISD is a part of this community, and Midland is part of the school district – the two cannot be separated. As parents, we know the learning process can’t be contained into the periods of the school day. Our kids’ learning must be extended into the homes, and the learning that takes place at home must be supported by our schools. Our goal is to truly get as many community members involved this year than ever before.
Finally, being responsible stewards of your tax dollars must always be at the forefront in our business dealings. The district is a business, but our ultimate goal is not about making money – it is about producing graduates. The tax dollars we use are tools in which we infuse into the system, mostly for quality staff members, to achieve the other goals of the district. We can never forget that the financial support we receive must be cared for in ethical manners. In fact, we are already making changes in the school district right now because of allegations of fraud on one of our campuses. We must to this to instill greater awareness of this goal.
Our school board did an outstanding job developing these goals for our year. These will assist our campuses and our district as a whole to get centered and organized into cohesive teams working together to achieve these goals. As goal five emphasizes, please remember that all of the stakeholders of the district – students, parents, caregivers, taxpayers, and school staff – need to be working together. I do understand we will have challenges this year, but we will be able to work through them if we continue to communicate.
Thank you for your support of our schools, our school district, and most importantly, your support of our kids. If anyone has questions or comments about my comments in this article, or about anything else, please do not hesitate to contact me. Feel free to call me at the office (689-1002) or email me at ryder.warren@midlandisd.net – I might be busy at the time you contact me, but I will make time to respond to your needs.
Goal One – MISD will challenge and prepare all students to obtain a post-secondary education.
Goal Two – MISD will close the achievement gaps among all student population groups.
Goal Three – MISD will recruit, develop, and recognize employees who work as a team to accomplish the district goals.
Goal Four – MISD will meet or exceed the technology standards for the education community.
Goal Five – MISD will achieve a high degree of parent and community satisfaction.
Goal Six – MISD will exercise fiscal responsibility and efficiency.
Preparing students for a post-secondary education is an expectation we are really going to focus on this year. We’ve discussed at length the need for our students to understand that their high school diploma is the true beginning of their educational endeavors. Post-secondary educations look different for our students, but the learning has to continue. Our ultimate goal is to produce graduates of which this community will take great pride and who are ready to meet the demands of the next level of learning.
Goal two necessitates closing the achievement gaps that exist between our different groups of students in the district. The best thing our legislature and the Texas Education Agency ever did was to mandate the separation of our accountability system into separate subgroups. These subgroups include ethnicity (Hispanic, White, African American, Asian, and American Indian). The student groups are also identified if the home income falls into the low socioeconomic range. Analyzing our testing outcomes from the 2009-10 school year, we see definite gaps between some of our subgroups, and our goal is to fill these gaps and have all children excelling.
In reference to goal three, my opinion as both the superintendent and as a parent of MISD is that we are very blessed with the team of educators and support staff we have in the district. Our classroom teachers will be tasked to challenge our students like never before, and the members who make up the rest of the team are going to do everything we can to support our teachers in that challenge. As the goal states, we want to make sure we are recruiting the very best to Midland, we are training them in the very best ways to reach the kids, and we are recognizing and rewarding excellence.
I believe goal four is one of the most important to achieve and maintain because of the digital society in which our children will live. No matter what career path our kids choose today, technology will impact their lives. As a community and as a school district, we must understand the constant challenges and opportunities technology poses for our children, and we must devise an infrastructure in our schools that prepares the kids to meet and exceed these challenges.
Goal five alludes to the importance of our parents and our community in the learning process. Without the support of parents, caregivers, and taxpayers, I feel none of our goals will be realized. MISD is a part of this community, and Midland is part of the school district – the two cannot be separated. As parents, we know the learning process can’t be contained into the periods of the school day. Our kids’ learning must be extended into the homes, and the learning that takes place at home must be supported by our schools. Our goal is to truly get as many community members involved this year than ever before.
Finally, being responsible stewards of your tax dollars must always be at the forefront in our business dealings. The district is a business, but our ultimate goal is not about making money – it is about producing graduates. The tax dollars we use are tools in which we infuse into the system, mostly for quality staff members, to achieve the other goals of the district. We can never forget that the financial support we receive must be cared for in ethical manners. In fact, we are already making changes in the school district right now because of allegations of fraud on one of our campuses. We must to this to instill greater awareness of this goal.
Our school board did an outstanding job developing these goals for our year. These will assist our campuses and our district as a whole to get centered and organized into cohesive teams working together to achieve these goals. As goal five emphasizes, please remember that all of the stakeholders of the district – students, parents, caregivers, taxpayers, and school staff – need to be working together. I do understand we will have challenges this year, but we will be able to work through them if we continue to communicate.
Thank you for your support of our schools, our school district, and most importantly, your support of our kids. If anyone has questions or comments about my comments in this article, or about anything else, please do not hesitate to contact me. Feel free to call me at the office (689-1002) or email me at ryder.warren@midlandisd.net – I might be busy at the time you contact me, but I will make time to respond to your needs.
