Monroe County School District Superintendent Ed Tierney joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the schools.
Monroe County School Distrcit has been recognized as an academically high-performing district by the Florida State Board of Education, an achievement Tierney said reflects years of work by teachers, administrators and staff.
The district is continuing to focus on improving student outcomes despite budget challenges and changes taking place at the state and national levels.
According to Tierney, only 18 of Florida’s 67 school districts earned the academically high-performing designation.
The recognition considers several factors, including clean financial audits, classroom size management, student academic performance and school grades.
Tierney said the designation reflects both how the district manages taxpayer resources and how effectively those resources translate into academic achievement.
“It’s a combination of the investment that taxpayers make in the school district and how well we honor that and take care of that,” Tierney said. “Also turning that into academic performance.”
He said the district is pleased to regain the designation after several years and hopes to continue earning it annually.
The superintendent also reported encouraging results from the first nine-week grading period of the school year. The district recorded a failure rate of approximately 1.44 percent, the lowest in many years.
Tierney credited teachers, principals and the district’s instructional systems for the results.
“I complimented the principals and asked them to pass on my congratulations and thanks to the teachers,” he said.
The results reflect the culture and instruction throughout the district and represent an important accomplishment for students and schools.
Tierney also said early assessment results are encouraging, with the district seeing improvement in English language arts during its first progress monitoring assessment.
He said mathematics remains an area of focus, but the district has a plan in place to improve performance.
The district is continuing to work toward improving its statewide ranking and preparing students for success after high school.
Financial responsibility is another major focus for the school district as it prepares for another potentially difficult budget year.
Tierney said the district has already reduced staffing at the district office, transferring seven administrative positions and five instructional positions to schools, along with some other support positions.
He said the goal is to reduce district office spending while directing as many resources as possible toward students and classroom instruction.
“We’re spending a lot of time on how we’re going to allocate resources to allow us to continue to improve outcomes for kids while operating in a leaner budget,” Tierney said.
He added that the district began working on those efficiencies about a year ago and feels better prepared to handle future financial challenges as a result.
Despite the financial pressures, Tierney said the district will continue supporting athletics, the arts and other activities that contribute to a well-rounded education.
He recently attended marching band performances at Marathon High School’s Mike Puto Stadium, where bands from throughout the Florida Keys participated in a music performance assessment.
Tierney said those experiences are an important part of students’ development.
“That all goes into a well-rounded education and well-grounded young people,” he said.
The superintendent also reflected on the district’s observance of September 11th and its upcoming participation in Veterans Day activities, including the Key West Veterans Day parade.
Tierney, a Marine veteran, said Monroe County has been one of the most patriotic communities he has experienced.
He also praised longtime school board member John Dick, who recently completed more than 20 years of service, and welcomed new board member Luis Gonzalez.
Tierney described Dick as a friend and mentor whose contributions to the county have been significant. He said he looks forward to working with Gonzalez as the district continues its efforts to improve educational outcomes.
“Our path is clear in the Monroe County School District, no matter what may come our way from Tallahassee or elsewhere,” Tierney said. “We have our defined goals, our defined purposes, and we continue on that path.”