More than 100 people gathered at the library in Pontotoc last Tuesday night to express interest in the city school system and hear explanations of recent events regarding the new curriculum.

The group, Citizens for Positive School Progress, wants to form an association to help the schools, much like a parents/teachers association, according to Jeff Ashe, one of the organizers. Dr. Carolyn McGehee and Dr. Kevin Koehler were moderators for the meeting.

Of chief concern was the recent announcement by Superintendent Conwell Duke that he is retiring June 30, 2009, and how his replacement will be chosen.

Charlotte Bass, school board member, said the board has already been in touch with Dr. Michael Waldrop, executive director of the Mississippi School Board Association. He will help conduct a professional executive search to find the best candidates to head the Pontotoc City School District.

Dr. Harold Fisher, a retired college president and consultant, also will help with the search. Bass said, “We need to be united in support for the schools and be ready to sell Pontotoc” if the right candidate for superintendent is from another area.

A letter about the new curriculum that was sent to parents of third and fourth grade students at D. T. Cox Elementary School also was discussed. Some potentially misleading information about the teaching of science and social studies was included in that letter. The matter has been clarified to the satisfaction of the concerned parents of D. T. Cox students and the subjects have been, and will continue to be, part of the curriculum as they were intended. Duke said, “Letters were given out Monday to parents who attended teacher conferences and other parents will receive letters with their children’s report cards.”

With regard to the curriculum, Rene Simon, board president, stated, “Education in Mississippi ranks 50th of all states in the nation. Dr. Hank Bounds has pledged to move our state’s education level to at least the middle of that ranking, instead of last.” [The state Department of Education is responsible for the new curriculum that is being taught in all schools. A draft of the new method of ranking schools is available on the Web site www.mde.k12.ms.us. (Board Accountability Draft)]

Some individuals at the meeting asked for clarification of Kevin Rodgers’ position with the schools. He is in charge of security for the entire school district and he is not affiliated with the city police department or the county sheriff’s department, Duke stated. Rodgers can be contacted through the district’s Web site.

Superintendent Duke said, “Our security is fine. There are cameras in most of the halls of all buildings and they are checked.”

Simon stated, “There have been no more security problems this year than last year.”

Duke reported that there are cameras on all buses, too. When a parent asked if he could view the images of his child taken with a bus camera, Duke said that is possible if the privacy of other students on the tape can be guarded.

An unidentified parent asked if the board could arrange for a crossing guard at the high school between 7:30 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. when traffic is heaviest. Duke said he will check with Pontotoc City Police Chief Larry Poole about providing a crossing guard. (On the day after the meeting, Duke and Chief Poole agreed to have a policeman present at the high school crosswalk every day unless the officer is called away for a police emergency.)

Some individuals mentioned that the teachers seem to be stressed and wondered if there were lines of communication between teachers and administrators. Bass and Duke responded that there is a Superintendent/Teachers Advisory Group that meets at least once a month. Duke said, “Teachers convey their concerns to the Group representatives in their building and the matters are addressed at the meetings.”

Other questions about isolated incidents were raised and addressed. Duke said even the worst problems in the local school district are not as bad as some of the least problems in other districts. “Pontotoc is ranked in the top 5 percent of the 152 districts in the state,” he added.

The next regular school board meeting on March 9 will be held in the high school commons at 6 p.m. The board agenda is posted on the district’s Web site (www.pontotoc.k12.ms.us) on the Friday before the meeting. [School policy provides that persons wanting to address the board must present their request in writing by Wednesday of the week before the board meeting. Groups should select one individual as spokesperson.]