Class Acts: Franklin Elementary Center taken off Continuous School Improvement plan
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PARKERSBURG -- Franklin Elementary Center has been taken off the Continuous School Improvement (CSI) plan joining Jefferson Elementary as the most recent schools to be removed from that list.
"We're incredibly excited for the entire school community at both sites," said Tammy McKnight, director of federal programs for Wood County Schools. "The staff, the students, the administration, and the parents have worked tirelessly to make sure that we're doing everything right for kids, and help them be eliminated from that list."
McKnight said it took a lot of work with professional development, working with the Department of Education, changing how things are done in the classroom, looking at data and using that to drive instruction, making sure resources-based instructional practices are used in classrooms, and making them more student centered.
"The kids are not really in charge of their learning, but are a huge part of learning," McKnight said. "They're not just passive learners, they are active learners."
McKnight said administrators, teachers, principals, and staff are going to work hard to make sure these schools never make it back on the CSI list. She said the practices in place wouldn't change now that these schools are off the list but would continue to try and improve them to make sure they don't end up back on it, and that they are doing the right thing for the students.
Michael Erb, communications coordinator for Wood County Schools, said a lot of people may look at schools on the CSI list as "bad schools," but that these schools just needed a little extra help and support, and they got that while on the list..
"The things that they learned during that period on the list, they're going to continue with," Erb said. "They're just going to continue to build on that."
Superintendent Christie Willis said all of the staff at Franklin Elementary, past and present, were worthy of celebrating their hard work to get the school to the point they are at, and encouraged any new staff to continue the effort.
"Please continue this on, because it's a success story," Willis said. "And the kids need you, and we are so grateful and thankful for what you do for the kids at Franklin every day."
Franklin Elementary Center Principal Lee Ann Cumpston said she came to the school nine years ago as an assistant principal and her goal from the first day was to make an impact on student learning and get the school off the CSI list.
"It did not take me long to discover that I had dedicated and talented staff, amazing and resilient students, strong board office and community support, and our dream team was created," Cumpston said. "Today we are celebrating the accomplishments of that team."
Cumpston went on to say it wasn't about her being the principal, but the teachers and the relationships they make with the students.
"You are loved, admired, appreciated, and our students are so very blessed to have you in their lives," Cumpston said. "And tomorrow we will walk back through these doors, give 110 percent, and show our students to believe that dreams come true."
Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com