Education Summit Welcomes Superintendents Daria, Davie
March 29, 2017
The state of Tuscaloosa County’s local public school systems was addressed during the 2017 Education Summit, Tuesday, March 28.
Mr. Michael Sentance, the Alabama State Superintendent of Education, spoke during the event, and the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama delivered an executive summary presentation on the state of Tuscaloosa County’s schools. Following the presentation, Dr. Walter Davie, Superintendent, Tuscaloosa County Schools, and Dr. Mike Daria, Superintendent, Tuscaloosa City Schools, delivered a joint response.
The Education Summit is the premier event for those who wish to become informed and engaged with respect to the state of the schools in our area, said Donny Jones, Chief Operating Officer, Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama.
“As business leaders, it’s important that we remain committed to ensuring our local public schools systems continue to deliver our children a foundation for the future,” he said. “Whether they choose college or a career, an excellent education is a critical step in ensuring our children are successful in the workforce and in our community.”
PARCA's presentation indicated that poverty was a leading indicator in performance, causing a 30 percent spread in every grade. Ryan Hankins of PARCA noted the trend was positive in both the Tuscaloosa County and City Schools in reading, but the scores were lower than the math scores.
Superintendents Daria and Davie spoke on the challenges the area was facing with respect to reading competency, particularly with respect to non-English speaking populations. Davie noted that students in the Tuscaloosa County School system speak 30 languages, and some of the students new to the area have not been in a formal education setting in as long as five years.
The superintendents were confident they are taking positive steps.
"The strategic plan is the blueprint for the future," Daria said. "We are addressing the achievement gap, and focusing on reading before third grade. We're putting resources where resources are needed."