Superintendent teaches Sumter band class in teacher shortage
Like lots of faculty methods across the U.S., Sumter School District is stretched slender with the present-day surge in coronavirus infections, but an “all-fingers-on-deck” strategy is serving to make staffing shortages more manageable.
Superintendent Penelope Martin-Knox explained Thursday district workers are even covering for absent teachers to preserve regularity in instruction. She produced the remarks from the band room at Sumter Superior College, where by she experienced just concluded masking the 2nd-block wind ensemble class for band director Troy Cato.
That’s ideal, even the superintendent is filling in when instructors are absent these days as the hugely contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 proceeds to crack daily case documents throughout South Carolina and the country.
Martin-Knox spent about 10 yrs at the start off of her academic occupation as a classroom audio teacher. It is still a enthusiasm for her, she mentioned, and she does not mind lending a serving to hand.
District administration was dividing up assignments this week for absent team at faculties to pitch in and support with functions, she claimed.
“And, when the name arrived across my desk on who was absent, I explained, ‘I will consider that protection,’” Martin-Knox stated. “So, I volunteered to come for two motives: Just one, to help the school, and also just to be in front of youngsters and interact with small children.”
A 7 days into January, and faculty districts across the country that are sticking with in-human being discovering are scrambling for substitutes as omicron, now the dominant strain of the virus in South Carolina, even further strains universities that were now struggling with staffing shortages.
When Martin-Knox covered Thursday’s course, it authorized a further instructor at Sumter Significant to however have their scheduling block and not have to fill in for the band director.
Martin-Knox claimed it was not the to start with time she has covered a class and that her management philosophy is “all fingers on deck.” She also goes by the adage that she is not going to inquire another person to do anything she would not do herself.
“While there are other duties that administrators have, our initially duty is to make certain college student safety and to ensure that they are mastering,” Martin-Knox reported. “So, wherever we can stage in as leaders, we will have to do so.
“Whether it is a principal stepping in and instructing a class or whether it is a superintendent stepping in and teaching a course, it will allow instructors to have an understanding of that we assist them, and our principals to understand that it is all arms certainly on deck. So, how far better to do that than to do it myself?”
She described the 90 minutes of going about conventional strategies, warmups and also some sight reading through with the wind ensemble as a “fun workout” that brought again recollections.
Afterward, many college students in the course of about 30 musicians reported it was a excellent working experience.
Senior Malaha Williams, who performs clarinet, said Martin-Knox made them feel snug from the start out and that they realized some new points.
Junior Sam Hudman, the first chair French horn, reported to begin with he was a small anxious to see the superintendent but that it was a good expertise total.
“It was actually pleasurable,” he explained. “We discovered a whole lot, and she worked with us in excess of procedure that we had pleasurable studying. We tried out a whole lot of new items currently, these as in warmup. It was pleasant meeting her.”
What is Future FOR MARTIN-KNOX?
In December, Martin-Knox notified the district’s Board of Trustees that she was not looking for a contract extension for up coming faculty year. She will conclude a a few-yr phrase as the district’s superintendent in June.
When asked by The Sumter Item this 7 days if she has plans after June set, Martin-Knox reported she does not at this time and has not assumed that significantly ahead.
