Leadership Quote of the Week: I’ll stick with Simon Sinek—"Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress… working hard for something we love is called passion." The passion our community and staff have for our students is evident every day.
Shelby County Public Schools
What an incredible week it’s been for students and teachers in the Shelby County Public School system! During my visits to several schools, I witnessed students being truly engaged and challenged to think critically—exactly what we strive for as educators. What stood out most to me was the genuine passion and enthusiasm we all share for our students and our profession. Whether it’s the dedication of our classified support staff or the commitment of our certified instructional staff, it’s clear that there is a deep love for this work.
This week, I also had the privilege of meeting with all our principals as we set goals for the year. It reminded me how fortunate I am to collaborate with some of the best in the field. Our principals are truly exceptional.
Our transportation department has also done a commendable job ensuring all students get home safely and on time. Usually, I receive the final reports between 5:00 and 5:15 PM. While the first few days always bring some challenges, our drivers and transportation staff have been doing an outstanding job.
Thank you for a great week.
District benchmark reading & math testing began this week. This data plays a crucial role in helping educators meet students where they are in their learning journey. By leveraging data, educators can create a responsive and adaptive learning environment that meets students where they are, ultimately leading to better educational outcomes.
Designing Instruction for Engagement
As we settle into the school routine, it's a great time to start focusing on designing engaging lessons. Dr. Mike Rutherford's article, linked here, offers valuable insights on how to create lessons that captivate students. He discusses the fine line between students being actively engaged and losing interest. The concept of "mandatory engagement" is highlighted as an effective strategy. While there may be moments when optional engagement works, mandatory engagement ensures that all students are actively participating in their learning.
Over 500 Shelby County students are enrolled in over 700 Advanced Placement courses.
Over 475 Shelby County students are enrolled in over 1,100 Dual Credit and Career and Technical Education Courses.
Shelby County Public Schools students earned 477 Industry Certifications during the 2023-2024 school year.
Be sure to check out our new community dashboard.
Our Commitment to Inspired Learning
Parents, guardians and students will use the Shelby County app for district and school news, events, dining, and more. Rooms, parent-teacher chat, is fully integrated into our district app to make communication easier for parents and teachers. Use the QR code in the attached images to help you!
From work to home to school, our phones are a key tool to how we each navigate and communicate throughout the day. The custom-built Shelby County Public Schools app makes it easy to stay up to date with district news and events.
Now, Shelby County Public Schools is making it easier to stay in touch with teachers and class information from that same app. Using the Shelby County Public Schools app you can easily switch from district and school information to Rooms where you can see your student's classes and engage directly with teachers.
Rooms can be accessed via the web and from our district app, which is available for free and can be used from both Apple and Android phones. To access Rooms, you will need to create a login and password.
