Success Is a Common Goal for New School Leaders
Rick Kriesky hails from Tennessee, while Keith Tobin is a North Carolina native.
Yet, the two have much in common, including a passion for delivering top-quality education to all students.
“The environment here is similar to my school district in Tennessee, but the friendliness of the people is one of the things that stood out for me when I came to Lexington,” says Kriesky, who left his home state in July 2009 to become superintendent for Lexington City Schools, which has a student enrollment of about 3,000.
Kriesky rose through the ranks of his hometown school system, becoming a teacher, athletic director and ultimately superintendent for Henry County Schools in Paris, Tenn. He is a strong proponent of “small learning communities” designed to engage students on a personal level.
“One of most exciting things we have is a new ninth-grade academy opening this year. It is essentially a school-within-a-school at Lexington High,” Kriesky says. “From my extensive experience with small learning communities, I know this will be a very positive thing for the community.”
Kriesky served as the principal of Henry County’s ninth-grade academy when it opened in 1996, and he says strong connections with teachers and classmates encourage students to continue their education through graduation. Graduation rates rose from below 70 percent to above 90 percent during Kriesky’s tenure as a school superintendent in Tennessee.
“The national data show us that the ninth-grade year is crucial for students – a lot of students disengage in the ninth-grade year,” he explains. “When that takes place, it can be difficult to get them to re-engage, and they are at higher risk for dropping out as sophomores or juniors.”
Tobin, Thomasville’s superintendent, echoes Kriesky’s commitment to making graduation an attainable goal for all students. As with many communities across the country, Thomasville has seen a significant rise in the number of Hispanic students enrolled.
“Regardless of where they come from, these children can succeed, and we work hard to see that they do,” says Tobin, a Thomasville native.
Like Kriesky, Tobin has deep experience in his hometown’s public school system. He taught at the high school level; coached football, track and wrestling; and served as a middle school principal before joining the administrative ranks at the central office, where he oversees programs for the system’s 2,600 students.
Among his top goals is increasing academic achievement at all grade levels.
“I’m very proud of this year’s test scores; they showed significant growth across the board,” he says. “But my message also is that it is not all about test scores. We want children to be at grade level, but producing quality citizens is another way to build our future. We work hard to educate the whole child, including instilling respect, responsibility and rigor. We want them to know that not everything is easy in life, if it is worth doing.”
Despite the many challenges facing educators today, Tobin believes that schools can instill a legacy of success that students can build on throughout their lives.
“I think one of the most important things we can do is to have a clear vision for success and carry out that vision across the entire school system,” he says.
