TOSS November Feature on Susan Bunch

“There has never been a time when I have wanted to give up and kept on going. If I get to that point, I will squint my eyes and muscle-up.”

Mrs. Susie Bunch, Superintendent of Lexington City Schools, started her career in education as a Kindergarten teacher at Karns Elementary in Knox County until she was “called ‘home’ to Henderson County to teach Kindergarten. Mrs. Bunch was interviewed for the job in Knox County by Ms. Mildred Doyle.

I was scared to death because I heard she was a tyrant, and I would never pass her “inspection”.  We talked for over an hour. She was one of the smartest, strongest, straight-forward women I had ever met, and we took an instant liking to each other. I am so glad that my first formal interview was with Mildred Doyle.  I went home to teach Kindergarten for 12 years.  I then was Supervisor of Instruction (Supervisor of the Year in 2002-03) in Henderson County, Superintendent in Henderson County (2003-2006), Asst. Commission of Education for Teaching and Learning (2006-2008 when the TN Diploma Project was approved), Program Director for the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation (2008-2011), and then back home to the other end of Monroe Ave as Director of Schools in Lexington City in 2011. This is my 4th year in Lexington City as Director of Schools.  The book I am writing is called “On Either End of Monroe”.

I read to the kids at the beginning of each new school year and anytime the teachers ask me to do so . . .Tikki Tikki Tembo, Millions of Cats, The Little Red Hen. I love books where the kids have a rhyme or a chant they can say along with me.

Reading was Mrs. Bunch’s favorite subject in school. She expressed her excitement about the new reading standards in TN and the things teachers are learning about teaching reading as well as the use of both fiction and informational texts in their classrooms. “If I were to go back into the classroom, I would want to be a reading teacher today.” While Mrs. Bunch isn’t in the classroom daily anymore, she still reflects on the fond memories that have stayed with her of former students.

I recently had the honor of going to a class reunion . . . the class reunion of my first class of Kindergarten kids in Henderson County. I looked at the kindergarten group picture of all of them and remembered all of their names prior to the reunion. Two of my kids had passed away when they were in their 20’s. The organizer of the reunion passed away unexpectedly only a few weeks before.  Most of the kids still lived in Henderson County, and I would see them from time to time at Walmart or Big Star (where everyone sees everybody). All but 5 of the class of 29 who left were going to be in attendance.  When I drove up to the home where the picnic was held, someone yelled, “here she is !” They all came down the hill to greet me. I could not identify one of my little boys (actually he is 44 years old) who had black hair with some gray in it because I had not seen him since Kindergarten,  and he was a little blue eyed blond then. I said, “Let’s go up the hill to the picnic,” and they all formed a line behind me, not because they thought it would be fun, but because that‘s what they were supposed to do if I was in the lead!  That night, the blue-eyed blond turned black-hair with gray in it Kindergarten boy came to me with tears in his eyes and said, “Mrs. Bunch, I have carried you in my heart all my life.  You have always been with me.”  For someone who taught little ones so very long ago, I have the most wonderful “fan club” any former teacher could ever have, and it has lasted for 39 years.  If I did anything right, I taught them to love to learn, and I taught them that I loved them. (and the letter T and the color orange)

 It was someone who Mrs. Bunch loved very much that inspired her and helped her begin her own journey toward being a leader – her mother.

 My mother inspired me to be a leader.  She was a leader in our little community, in our church, in the school, district, and state PTA organizations.  She was well-read, well-spoken, and chosen for committees that typically were for “men only”.  She was quick-witted and admired by young and old alike.  But she did not seek attention or notoriety.  I learned through her actions that you had to read, write, study, speak-up, stand for something, and  yet still be courteous and respectful.  She passed away after my son’s first birthday.  She was not alive to see how my career has developed and some of the accomplishments I have had a role in.  But she was very proud that I was the first generation college graduate of our family and a teacher.  The rest of my story I’d like to think was what she expected me to do anyway.

As Mrs. Bunch continues to lead and grow the students in her school system, she is excited about the things unfolding in Lexington City. She specifically highlighted such things at RTI development, professional growth of the system’s teachers, and the promising aspects of stronger standards in TN.

I am most excited about watching the RTI(2) process unfold and develop in both our elementary and middle school.  We worked hard on understanding the components of RTI(2) and building our teams, PLCs, data structures, and communication measures in 2013-14. And I believe that the reason we did well in both achievement and growth in 2013-14 is because we knew where and how all of our students were going and growing.  But it’s Showtime this year!  We have added personnel to assist in the groupings needed to meet the needs of students and with each new grouping comes a change in scheduling.  This is easy for me to talk about because I am not living the scheduling changes like the principals and teachers, but I am proud of how they accept changes for benefit of students.

The professional learning of our teachers and administrators is growing by leaps and bounds.  I attribute this to the quality summer training from the department and follow-up to the training by our administrative team in the schools and in the central office through PLCs, grade-level meetings,  embedded professional development from our academic coaches and spot-on staff development on the most timely topics that will prepare students and teachers for the spring assessments.

"It is easier to build strong children than to fix broken men."

Frederick Douglas

Finally, I hope, the state is nailing down our standards and our assessment.  I have been a believer in Common Core even before I came back to TN from Mississippi.  Any tweaking the new task force will do in the next year or so will just strengthen an already strong set of standards.  That works for me.  The new assessment was designed to measure CCSS and also configured to be tweaked along the way if needed.   We all are ready to get back to the business of knowing which standards to teach and how they will be measured….no more game playing at the expense of our students and teachers.

Mrs. Bunch shared some advice that might be beneficial to new superintendents, things she has learned through her own experiences as superintendent. “The most important decision you will make as superintendent is who you hire as a principal,” she stated. “Hire great people and let them do their job [s]. Step back and give people credit.” She also shared some things about communication and having a good relationship with the school board. “Keep your board informed. Know what is yours to manage and what the principal should manage. Don’t get the two confused.” Also, “Work the crowd.” She spoke of the importance of taking care of your family and putting them first. Mrs. Bunch also expressed the strength in balancing rest and hard work. “Take a vacation whenever you can. Always have a purpose. Hustle.”

The best and most challenging thing about being CEO of a school district? “Being a superintendent is either very satisfying or very frustrating. I find I try to make every satisfying situation last as long as it can and solve the problem that is causing the frustration as quickly as possible. Sometimes, just pure Facebook gossip/drama is a huge challenge that has no solution at all.”

As Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and it is fast approaching, I asked Mrs. Bunch about some of her favorite things connected with “Turkey Day.” She shared that as child her favorite float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade was Popeye the Sailor Man. “I still have a thing for squinty-eyed sailors with muscles to this day!” She also mentioned her love for dressing – one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving dinner as well. “My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is chicken and dressing. I ate a ton of it while my Grandmother made it when I was little. Now, I am the champion chicken and dressing maker in both my family and my husband’s family because I know what it’s supposed to taste like before it is cooked.”

As for any new adventures on the horizon, while Mrs. Bunch continues to write new chapters of her life story. “If I could have a new adventure, I would like to be a back-up singer to Tim McGraw. Not that I can sing, but the view would be great.”

Please Click the Photo Above to Visit the Lexington City Schools Website.

Cheers to new adventures, great views, and gratitude as we all approach each day! We don’t have to look to far to find a blessing.

“How blessed am I? Extremely. When I look at the world around me, I should never complain about a thing for the rest of my life. Shame on me if I do.”

TOSS October Feature on Dr. Jesse Register

“My goal for this year is to develop an effective plan to eliminate priority schools in the district!”

Dr. Jesse Register has been superintendent for Metro Nashville Schools since January of 2009. He began teaching as a middle school Language Arts teacher before moving into administration as an assistant principal, principal, and later an assistant superintendent. Overall, Dr. Register has served as superintendent for 26 years, including systems in North Carolina and other parts of Tennessee.

When asked what he was most excited about in his district this fall, Dr Register shared about Metro’s pre-k expansion program.

I am very excited about our pre-k expansion program for 550 additional 4-year old children in three model pre-k schools.  They are research based, state-of-the-art programs that will be models for all pre-k programs in 57 other schools and for Headstart in Davidson County.  We have worked with early childhood experts and consultants to build an outstanding program.

Our district is 72% FARM, but less than half our children have pre-k opportunities.  We think this start will have a positive impact that ripples through the elementary grades.  We hope to continue expansion in the coming years.

Metro Nashville school system is comprised of 157 schools, including 19 charter schools. As Dr. Register is superintendent of a large district I inquired of him the best things and the most challenging things in taking on such a role.

Nashville is a wonderful city that supports public education.  We have a very supportive Mayor and Metro Government.  I consider our diversity to be an asset and a resource.  Our children speak over 130 languages and come from all over the world.  We do not have a majority race, and have approximately 30% of the state’s English Language Learner population.

Helping our urban, culturally diverse population is definitely both a challenge and a great opportunity … The challenge is getting to all schools and having an opportunity to meet and work with as many of our 10,000 [member] staff as possible.

Metro Nashville employs 5,800 teachers in 157 schools, so encouraging the teachers of this system is no small task. “It isn’t possible to see them all on a regular basis. I try to meet with teachers in their faculty or area meetings,” Dr. Register stated. “I have invited them to cluster area meetings to come in and talk about any issues they are dealing with. I regularly send out written communications to all teachers via email to encourage them and keep them updated on current topics. We also use the website to keep them informed of all district issues.”

Dr. Register also talked about his hope for the students of the very diverse city of Nashville.

Nashville is very diverse, with 29% of the state’s English Learners population.  We have great kids.  One of our main focuses is on social and emotional learning for their academic success. My biggest hopes for the students of Nashville are that they will be prepared for college or good careers.

When questioned on the subject of tips or advice he wanted to give new superintendents Dr. Register shared about going out into the field.

Visit all schools the first 90 days.  Meet with principals, teachers, as well as parents and community.  Also meet with community leaders, civic groups and others to get a good overall impression of the perceptions of the public schools. 

This is important for new superintendents even if they are already in the district.  I did this in Nashville and it helped me form my approach to the first years of my time here, including building a foundation for our first strategic plan.

So what does the superintendent of such a large district do to relax?

I am an avid golfer and try to play every week.  The rule is … no talk about work.  Although we have a small (city) yard, I also enjoy doing my own yard work.  I exercise at 5:30 a.m. most days.  It’s the only time of the day that is generally free!

My wife and I also love to travel, and we plan ahead for several long weekends a year or over holidays to visit the children and grandchildren in North Carolina, a trip to the beach, or a weekend in New York City for a play and great food.

One of Dr. Register’s favorite things to do in the cool fall weather is to entertain on his and his wife’s outdoor patio. “Fall is a great time for a low country boil on the patio.”

What was an interesting job you had while growing up? "I was a produce worker in high school and an Avis car rental agent in college. I ran the downtown night office in Charlotte, NC. I met many very interesting characters!

2015 Superintendent of the Year

Congratulations to Dr. Wanda Shelton of Lincoln County Schools!

Lincoln County Director Named 2015 Superintendent of the Year

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents met in Gatlinburg, TN on September 7th for the annual awards and recognition dinner. The 2015 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year was announced at the banquet on Sunday night. This year’s honor was awarded to Dr. Wanda Shelton, Lincoln County Schools, South Central District.

Dr. Shelton was named statewide Superintendent of the Year. She was chosen for this honor out of a distinguished group of 8 regional superintendents of the year. Honored as regional Superintendent(s) of the Year 2015 were Dr. Buddy Bibb (Tipton County), Southwest District; Dr. B.J. Worthington (Clarksville-Montgomery County), Mid-Cumberland District; Dr. Gary Lilly (Bristol City), First District; Mr. Mike Jones (Fentress County), Upper Cumberland; Dr. Vicki Violette (Clinton City), East District; Mr. Randy Frazier (Weakley County), Northwest District; and Dr. Martin Ringstaff (Cleveland City), Southeast District.

Dr. Shelton is a graduate of MTSU, Tennessee State University, and also attended the University of Alabama. She served as 2013-2014 President of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents. Dr. Shelton has formerly received the Fayetteville/Lincoln County “Boss of the Year” award, is a Tennessee State University “Wall of Fame” inductee, and was the South Central Regional Superintendent of the Year in 2011. She has served as superintendent in Lincoln County for 8 years.

My dad told me when I left for college, ‘Men, friends, jobs, and hobbies can come and go, but your education is a gift that no one can ever take away from you.’ That passion to learn was instilled in me by my family, and I feel that it is my job to make sure the 4,100 children under my care feel the same way about their opportunities … I believe that all students can succeed. We must have a climate of rigorous educational demands and dedicated educators who are willing to work collaboratively to execute the components of a comprehensive intervention program. With this in place, we can create an educational environment that meets each child’s needs.

Dr. Shelton will submit her application for the National Superintendent of the Year sponsored by the American Association of School Administrators and will represent the state of Tennessee in San Diego, CA at the American Association of School Administrators National Conference on Education.

Additional honors awarded during the dinner this year were the 2014 George (Kip) Reel Award for Educational Leadership to Charles W. (Chuck) Cagle, Esq., the 2014 TOSS Legislative Award to Representative Harry Brooks, and the 2014 TOSS Friend of Education Award to John Wilburn former Trust Administer for Tennessee Risk Management Trust.

TOSS August Feature on Dr. Dale Lynch

 … Seek wise counsel. The first job would be to determine “who is wise,” then, make them your best friend.

Dr. Dale Lynch was Tennessee’s 2014 Superintendent of the Year. As we are only weeks away from the fall conference (September 7-10th in Gatlinburg), I thought it would be nice to catch up with him and hear about some of the important things that have happened in his district this year.

Dr. Lynch has been in public education for 26 years. He began his teaching career in Washington County where he taught Economics and Business Education. He later transitioned into administration in Washington County at Jonesborough Middle School before becoming the Assistant Superintendent/Curriculum Instruction. After being in that role for six years, he became superintendent in Elizabethton. Dr. Lynch has now been the director in Hamblen County for 13 years.

“I have always wanted to take on roles that led to additional responsibilities. I love leadership.”

When asked who inspires him, Dr. Lynch spoke about two early leaders in his life – his parents. “Inspiration … it all begins with my parents. My father received his doctoral degree in Theology from Southern Seminary and served as a Baptist minister for over 50 years … 27 in the same church. My mother was the first female County Administrator (in Tennessee we call them County Mayors) in Virginia and she served in that role for over 20 years.”

Another thing that contributed to Dr. Lynch becoming a leader later in life, was learning the significance of servanthood. “I think leadership is all about helping and serving others. I had many responsibilities at the church while growing up that led me to learn the importance of working and serving with others.” When I asked Dr Lynch what he was most excited about concerning the district where he serves he shared about teamwork and hands-on learning.

Our school system has been working very closely with our County Mayor, City Mayor, Chamber of Commerce Board, and Industry leaders to develop a comprehensive program for students and teachers to match our local industry needs with our educational outcomes. This past summer we initiated a program called STEP (summer teacher externship program) that involved 39 teachers in teams of 3. We had math, science, and career & technical teachers working on teams that spent part of their summer in local industries experiencing hands-on learning. These teachers have been working on developing Common Core lessons specifically designed with our local industry challenges and will be presenting them to our students this fall.

And how does the 2014 Superintendent of the year take time to relax?

“Relax … every day is relaxing. I enjoy exercising and golfing as my past time hobbies. Some of the most fun times I have had in recent years is running with superintendent friends at TOSS events (the Donut Friar is the best place to run).” Dr. Lynch also enjoys spending time with his wife, Shannon, and their sons. “My wife . . . is a special education teacher and our two boys are in college. Family time for us is always special. We are a very busy “crew.” We love the summer life of spending time on the lake with family and friends.”

As we are approaching September, when Dr. Lynch will announce the 2015 Superintendent of the Year, I asked what it meant to him to be 2014 Superintendent of the Year. “I was extremely humbled by the announcement. The group of fine leaders across our state is truly amazing. The friendships I have made over these years are what make the superintendent’s job special.” What profession would he like to try other than education? Other profession … I can’t imagine myself in any other profession than education. After almost 3 decades in education, I love my job now more than ever.”

TOSS July Feature on Dr. Bruce Borchers

“My primary motivation comes from the students, families, and staff that I serve. Every year we have the ability to help prepare our children for a successful future. This is a daunting but rewarding task.”

Dr. Bruce Borchers has been involved professionally in education for 21 years. He started his career as an elementary physical education teacher in Sioux City, Iowa, Community District in 1993. He shares, “I also worked as an interim assistant principal and guidance counselor in Iowa City, Iowa, as assistant principal and principal in Mankato, Minnesota, and as associate superintendent of secondary schools for the Anoka-Hennepin School District (Minnesota). Prior to joining the Oak Ridge School System, I was the superintendent of the Rockwood School District (Missouri) from 2010-2013.” He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, his master’s degree from Wayne State College and the University of South Dakota, and a bachelor’s degree from Morningside College.

This year is Dr. Borchers first school year with Oak Ridge and some exciting things are taking place within the system under his guidance --

This past year, the Oak Ridge Schools announced a new collaboration with Discovery Education, to create authentic digital learning environments in classrooms district-wide. Through a six-year partnership, Discovery Education will support Oak Ridge Schools’ plan to implement a BYOD learning initiative with engaging digital content and sustained, customized professional development.

This new partnership also supports our plan to transform Oak Ridge Schools into the premier preK-12 STEM school district in the nation. The district’s goal is to become a leader in STEM education through continuation and expansion of Oak Ridge’s already well-regarded educational opportunities for students along with additional enhancements to technology infrastructure, professional development and access to devices, which will place dynamic digital content in the hands of each student. 

Oak Ridge Schools is also providing its educators robust, customized professional development from Discovery Education experts who will guide them through the process of integrating Streaming Plus and Techbooks into classroom instruction. 50 teachers will join a STEM cohort that will receive 10 days of customized professional development and coaching from Discovery Education each year.  

In addition to our STEM initiative, we engaged our community in a discussion about College and Career Readiness.  Improving the college and career readiness of all Oak Ridge students will provide them with a better foundation of knowledge and skills, allowing them to be prepared for a more technologically sophisticated and internationally competitive working world. (To read more about the Seven Keys to College and Career Readiness or learn more about this program, please click here.)

While Dr. Borchers is leading his district in new learning initiatives and preparing the students for a successful future when they enter into higher education and society in general, I asked him the most fun thing about his job as a director in TN – “to have the ability to help students develop into successful adults is truly the best part of my job . . . My primary motivation comes from the students, families, and staff that I serve. Every year we have the ability to help prepare our children for a successful future. This is a daunting but rewarding task.”

Dr. Borchers has achieved a lot during his freshman year as a superintendent in Tennessee and I wanted to “pick his brain” for any advice he might have for other new superintendents or those directors that might fill a bit weary as the school year has come to a close, “One of my favorite sayings is ‘make decisions based on the needs of the students … not the comfort level of adults.’ When I’m having a difficult day I reflect on this statement and it gives me the resolve to make decisions for the right reasons.”

I asked Dr. Borchers if he had a favorite teacher as a student and his reply reflected a gift of support and encouragement that he has brought into his own life and career in education. “My favorite teacher was Mr. Craig Ihnen. He was a high school speech/drama teacher and also directed plays. He was always supportive and made me participate in things (one-act, chorale reading, plays, musicals, etc.) that I most likely would not have, had it not been for his encouragement.”

I was curious about a few things that Dr. Borchers believes students are looking to from their leaders that cannot be found in a textbook. “I find students wanting to have ‘real’ engaging learning experiences. They are the ‘I want it now’ generation and tings need to be very relevant to them in order to maintain their attention. Real life solutions to real life problems seem to engage them more than a traditional textbook.”

Speaking of textbooks, I wanted to know Dr. Borchers favorite subject when he was in school, “I was a very ‘active’ young man and was drawn to classes that were hands on and engaging. When I entered college, in addition to wanting to be an educator, I became very interested in psychology and decided to double major in physical education/teaching and psychology. One … favorite book from my college days was, Choice Theory by William Glasser.” Dr. Borchers find inspiration from a quote that came from another favorite book, this being a book that he read growing up. “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.” The book was Man’s Search from Meaning by Viktor Frankl who was a Holocost survivor as well as a psychiatrist.

We at TOSS wish Dr. Borchers the best as he continues to serve, encourage, and inspire his students to success in Oak Ridge.

Most Interesting or Most Fun Vacation You've Taken

Being new to the area, my family and I took a “southern” vacation this past June. We visited Asheville, Charleston, visited many beaches (Folly, Tybee, Kiawah, Hilton Head, etc.), Savannah, Atlanta, and then back to Oak Ridge. It was a great vacation . . . I can’t wait to do it again! -- Dr. Bruce Borchers