Warren County family,
Happy New Year! I hope you are as excited as I am to kick off a new year and a new era for Warren County Schools!
I trust that each of you was able to enjoy some much needed rest and down time with family and loved ones during this holiday season. As I spent time with family and friends, I was reminded about the importance of developing and maintaining relationships. Not just with loved ones and those that are closest to us, but also those whom we work alongside each and every day. That includes our colleagues, students, families, and the communities that we serve. I thought back to comments from my pastor, the Rev. Dr. Harry L. White, Jr., in a recent sermon where he said summarily, there can be no CORRECTION without CONNECTION.
As we dig deeper this year into the work of improving, rebuilding and transforming education in Warren County, we must keep in mind that it is difficult to correct someone we don’t know or have a relationship with. We respond to each other with a much more sincere effort, when we know that the other person is genuinely concerned about our personal well-being and success.
Beginning in 2023, Warren County Schools will engage in a systemic redesign and transformation process to improve from a “low-performing” designation to high-performing. As public education emerges from the pandemic, school districts are working collaboratively with state and national organizations to lead systemic change. Our students and our community deserve that change, and school districts like ours must keep pace with efforts to modernize, redesign, and transform education. This is critical if we are to ensure that not a single student, family, or community is further marginalized.
This systemic redesign effort will be led with a focus on prioritizing culture over strategy. I personally believe that before there can be a focus on school improvement, the district has to undergo a transformational shift in culture. If we are going to be successful in this work, and in effectively implementing the Warren County Schools Strategic Plan, then we must improve our organizational culture.
The goal is to develop and promote a culture that is:
- Relationships-Based
- Student-Centered
- Future-Focused
Putting a priority on building relationships and meeting the needs of each and every student will result in more personalized instruction and support, increased student and family engagement, increased educational equity, and a greater sense of community trust and confidence.
This is the formula for a successful year and an improved Warren County Schools. Let’s work together to make 2023 our best year yet! One Band! One Sound!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Warm regards,
Keith Sutton,
Superintendent, Warren County Schools
