First, I would like to share some good news with you: Doddridge County Schools have once again found its way to the top of rankings. The West Virginia Department of Education recently announced four year and five-year graduation rates for each county district. Doddridge County topped the list with a 100% five-year graduation rate for the 2020-2021 school year.
Doddridge County Schools also received a perfect score on the West Virginia Department of Education 2021 Efficiency Indicators. These measures evaluate student performance and county operational efficiency and determine school accreditation and district status.
These numbers reflect the dedication of our entire staff in tracking our students’ progress and making sure that proper procedures are followed. This is the less glamourous part of public education, but vital to the success of our district.
These numbers also reflect upon our culture as a school district. As a student your experience in the school building consists of visiting with friends, playing sports and other extracurriculars, and studying for classes. There is a switch that flips when you start teaching in public schools. As a teacher you realize that your classroom is comprised of 25-30 individual lives, each coming to you with a different home life, each with a different set of life experiences that they bring to your classroom. As the year progresses you learn more and more about your students and design the classroom experience to help them succeed.
As a superintendent you progress to another phase, where you are responsible for an entire district of students, families, and employees. The health, safety, and concerns of the entire district matter. Working with your staff you seek to create a safe environment where students can learn in a safe environment.
In 2020 we expanded our Holistic Child Department to meet the extraordinary needs of our students. Our Holistic Child Department consists of four members who meet with our students to help them through difficult situations. They, along with our counselors and PRO officers provide our students access to additional adults in the buildings to help meet their needs.
As Christmas approaches, I encourage everyone to take special attention to those in need. Your presence in the life of a child can be as important as a teacher, a counselor, or a superintendent. In the spirit of a great man that lived two thousand years ago, seek out those in need and provide your love.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Adam Cheeseman