The small town of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee is embarking on a first-in-the-nation program aimed at transforming education in the community and beyond. Dr. Ryan Jackson, executive lead principal of the Mt. Pleasant Arts Innovation Zone, announced Wednesday the formation of the country’s first K-12 STEAM campus, a collaborative effort involving the town’s three schools and a group of local and …
Maury County Principal Named Finalist for Tennessee Principal of the Year
On Thursday, September 1 Education Commissioner Candice McQueen named Dr. Tina Weatherford, Principal of Joseph Brown Elementary, a finalist for the Tennessee Principal of the Year award. This is an annual award given to a school principal who has shown outstanding service, exceptional leadership, drives overall improvements in their school and has a track record of exceptional gains in student …
Schools embark on changes in learning process
By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net Maury County Public Schools’ teachers, principals and district-wide administrators gathered at Maury Hills Church on Tuesday for a summit with Discovery Education, officially embarking on the school system’s endeavor to bring problem-based learning to each of Maury County’s more than 12,000 students. The problem-based learning model is a student-centered teaching philosophy which puts an emphasis on …
Parents are the most effective tool for student success
By MICHAEL FORD Special to The Daily Herald Study after study proves that the best way to predict a student’s success is to examine the support he or she receives in the home. Having the privilege to be both a father and educator, I can speak first hand to the significance parent involvement plays in a child’s academic success. There …
Partnership Aims to Provide High School Students with Advanced Career Training
By MIKE CHRISTENmchristen@c-dh.net As the new school year began last week, Maury County Public Schools and Columbia State Community College entered into an articulation agreement to further the educational opportunities of the region’s high school students. Both MCPS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Chris Marczak and CSCC President Janet F. Smith formally approved a partnership between the two organizations giving Maury …
School board approves materials for dual-enrollment partnership
By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net The Maury County Board of Education’s Zoning and Facilities Committee unanimously approved the purchase of materials and training for the district’s Advanced Integrated Industrial Technology duel-enrollment partnership with Columbia State Community College. Also commonly referred to as mechatronics, a field of study combining electronics and mechanical engineering with a concentration on manufacturing, the program will give …
Four Ways Maury County Public Schools Will Grow in 2016-17
Written by Dr. Chris Marczak, director of Maury County Public Schools Benjamin Franklin tells us that “an investment in knowledge pays the best dividends.” 200 years later, 80s punk band TimBuk 3 exclaimed, “The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.” What do these two vastly different voices have in common? They might as well have been talking about Maury …
Award-winning Grow Maury Initiative Enters Year Two
As the award-winning Grow Maury Initiative enters year two, the Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance is teaming up with Maury County Public Schools and Mary Beth West Communications to deepen the community’s commitment to education. During the fall semester, the initiative is focusing on two primary themes. In the third quarter, #GrowMaury will emphasize parental and business community involvement. …
School Spotlight: Mount Pleasant High School
If you haven’t met Ryan Jackson yet, get ready for a burst of enthusiasm. That’s what the new Mount Pleasant High School principal brings to the table, and it’s infectious. Jackson, who joins MPHS after a stint at Maplewood High School in Nashville, also brings a proven plan to foster creativity and tailor the learning experience to each individual student. …
Maury County’s Grass is Greener, Even in the Summertime
The #GrowMaury Initiative’s slogan is “The grass is greener where you water it.” There’s tons of watering taking place in Maury County, even in these hot summer months! At Central High School, 81 students earned college credit by making a score of 3 or above on Advanced Placement tests this year, and one student earned a 36 on a category …