Full-Court Press to Bring CMS to Higher Level

Principals from Top Elementary In State Take Helm at CMS

by Woody Jenkins, editor

CENTRAL — Central Middle School, now located at the new $45 million Central School Complex, is a school undergoing change on many fronts.  In some respects, it is an entirely new school.  With the retirement of the long-time principal and the move to all-new facilities, Central Middle has a new leadership team.

Students at the school also have a tough new set of rules that have brought some complaints.  But Central schools Supt. Mike Faulk said, “With the move, it was an ideal time to make some changes.  It’s about more than rules.  It’s about expectations.  Students will be responsible, respectful, and orderly.  You really can’t have learning without order.  It is a radical shift.  We’re raising expectations and that should result in raising performance.”

In the state’s School Performance Scores, which were released Tuesday, Central Middle scored a C, based on last year’s testing, which occurred before the move.  The school missed receiving a B by only 9/10ths of a point.  Still, it was the lowest performing of Central’s five public schools.  Central High, Tanglewood, and Bellingrath Hills received A’s, while Central Intermediate received a B.

Supt. Faulk has brought in his A-Team to provide leadership at the new Central Middle School — Sandy Davis and Jason Fountain.

Davis served as principal at Tanglewood Elementary, which had the highest performing 3rd graders in the state for the past four years based on the state’s School Performance Scores.  Fountain served as assistant principal at the school.

Now Davis and Fountain have teamed up as co-principals at the new Central Middle School.  If all goes as expected, Supt. Faulk said that next year Fountain will become principal at the school, and Davis will become Assistant Superintendant for the entire Central school system.

One of the controversies at the school has been new limits on talking in the hallways.  Davis said there is not a total ban on talking but that things have to be “quiet and respectful.”  Students are asked to walk on the right hand side of the hallways.

For some Central old-timers, it is reminiscent of legendary Central High principal J. A. Smith, who served the school for 30 years and also had strict controls on talking and hall behavior.

Supt. Faulk said, “When it comes to rules, the principal at each school has a team of teachers.  They sit with their team and address issues in the school.  The rules that have been adopted were not picked out of the air.  They are designed to give teachers the ability to focus on teaching.  A lot of things are being considered — from bullying to cooperative learning to the use of technology in the schools.”

Faulk said, “People are always concerned about middle schools, because you have students from age 11 to age 15 or 16.  That’s a big difference.  There are big changes going on in students’ lives and differences in maturity levels.  Around the state, middle schools generally under perform, and there’s a presumption that students will have a hard time adapting.  But we believe it is essential to provide greater structure as they go through the transition in their lives, so that they will perform at the level of achievement that they are actually at.”

At the middle school, there are no lockers and students are not allowed to carry book sacks.  Students do not carry textbooks to and from home or around the campus.  Textbooks are provided in each classroom, and students are given a set of books to use at home.  Instead, students carry with them a binder, containing study plans, assignments, and other materials.

The absence of lockers and the fact that students travel light keep unwanted materials off school property, Davis said.  Students have an eight-period day, which allows them to go to every class every day.  Supt. Faulk said the previous block system meant that students attended some courses every other day, which did not work as well.

Fountain said Central Middle is building on the success of the past.  “Mr. John Cashio, the previous principal, did a good job, and now we want to continue and carry it to another level.  With the new building, we are spread over a large area.  We’re trying to put the best structure in place.  We want to provide a safe environment and a good learning environment for every child.”

Davis said the school is teaching from Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.  “Right now, our students are getting used to those habits and building leadership,” she said.  She said more information is available at www.theleaderinme.org.

Davis said every 8th grader at Central Middle will have the opportunity to earn Carnegie credits toward high school graduation.  High school courses are available in Algebra, Spanish I, and Computer Science.

Faulk said he is confident students at Central Middle will look back and know that their time at the school prepared them to be successful in high school and beyond.

Central school board vice president Will Easley said he has tremendous confidence in co-principals Sandy Davis and Jason Fountain.  “Great principals are essential to successful schools, and we are very fortunate to have them in these leadership capacities.

Former school board president Sharon Browning said, “I have spent almost 50 years in Central schools, as a student, teacher, counselor, and now as a board member.  Our most successful schools are those with a long history of very strong discipline — J. A. Smith, Glen Gentry, and others who followed in their spirit.  Sandy Davis and Jason Fountain are a perfect fit for us.  Where there is strong discipline, excellence follows.”