Director of Hardeman County Schools Speaks to Local Conservatives
A large crowd came out on Monday evening to hear Dr. Christy Smith, Director of Hardeman County Schools, give an update on offerings and happenings in our local schools.
Dr. Smith, who has served as director since 2021, highlighted some great things happening, including two schools being named reward schools, but also spoke on the challenges faced within our local school system. Low test scores and lack of parental involvement were two that were mentioned during the evening.
“We don’t match up to the state [test scores] yet. That’s a goal” commented Dr. Smith.
Dr. Smith shared about two of the major initiatives Hardeman County Schools started working on last year. The first is focusing on increasing early foundational skills.
“If our kids come in and they get behind early, we’re going to struggle their whole K-12 journey to catch them up,” said Dr. Smith.
The second initiative is Post Secondary Success. Through partnerships with Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Jackson State Community College, and the University of Memphis, high school students are able to choose from about a dozen dual enrollment courses, which provide both high school and college credit.
Speaking to the importance of community involvement, Dr. Smith shared, “We can’t be the school system we need to be without community collaboration, and I’m not talking about funding . . . just being there to help us guide these kids.”
It was noted that one way community members can get involved is by becoming a Tennessee Promise mentor to a high school senior. {read more about the Tennessee Promise mentor program here}
The Hardeman County Republican Party regularly invites community leaders to speak. Next month, Bolivar Mayor Julian McTizic will be the guest speaker.
The next meeting will be March 14, 2023, at 6 p.m. at 100 South Main in Bolivar. Everyone is welcome to attend.
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