\u201c(Leadership) also comes with looking at data to make sure we understand where we are academically and how we need to move the children forward,\u201d he adds. \u201cBut not only the children \u2014 the adults, too \u2014 because we\u2019re all learning in the process and continuing to be lifelong learners.\u201d <\/p>\n
For Goree-Watkins, that commitment to a leadership model centered on teachers and students has earned recognition across Richardson Independent School District. <\/p>\n
This year, he was named Elementary Principal of the Year at RISD. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn my 18 years of education, I have been honored as teacher of the year, but this is the first time I\u2019ve been honored as an administrator,\u201d he says.\u201cIt is a badge of honor that I wear.\u201d <\/p>\n
That recognition is echoed by district leadership, including Tabitha Branun, superintendent of RISD. <\/p>\n
\u201cDeMarcus embodies the heart of Forest Lane Academy and is so deserving of the Principal of the Year recognition,\u201d she says. \u201cHe has dedicated a decade pouring into his campus and has shown an unwavering dedication to providing opportunity, care, and high-quality education that opens doors and expands possibilities for all children, no matter their background, language or circumstances.\u201d <\/p>\n
As a Title I school serving a highly transient community, Forest Lane\u2019s parent engagement structures look different from more traditional neighborhood schools, with PTA participation limited in part by high residential mobility and a large number of families living in apartments near the I-635 corridor and extended-stay housing like Budget Suites. <\/p>\n
\u201cForest Lane Academy is a very unique campus since our mobility rate fluctuates between 40 and 43%,\u201d Goree-Watkins says. \u201cMeaning, that 50% of the students that start at the beginning will be gone by the end of the school year.\u201d<\/p>\n
That level of student mobility also creates challenges in building long-term consistency across the school, not just for students, but for staff . <\/p>\n
\u201cThe average teacher retention rate at a Title I campus is 3 to 5 years. So, I look for a teacher who has the resilience to make sure that they can withstand what comes with being at a Title I campus,\u201d he explains. <\/p>\n
With that in mind, Goree-Watkins says his recent recognition as RISD Elementary Principal of the Year is something he hopes will also strengthen teacher recruitment and retention at Forest Lane. <\/p>\n
\u201cI just hope that by name and recognition alone, people will hear about Forest Lane Academy and want to add value to it,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
Even amidst the challenges, Forest Lane has worked to create spaces of stability and hands-on learning for students. One of the most vivid examples of this is their new gardening program. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe plant native plants and vegetables and send them home with the kids,\u201d he shares. \u201cAnd, we are also now raising chickens that will hatch, and even get a chicken coop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Goree-Watkins often returns to the message he wants students to remember most. <\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing I would tell the kids is to always get back up \u2014 make sure that you are resilient, that you can bounce back, get back on your feet, and reach the destination you set your mind to,\u201d he continues. \u201cThings may look easy for somebody else, but they don\u2019t tell you about their stumbles.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201c(Leadership) also comes with looking at data to make sure we understand where we are academically and how…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":273418,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[160,162,161],"class_list":["post-273417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-plano","tag-plano","tag-plano-headlines","tag-plano-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=273417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273417\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/273418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=273417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=273417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=273417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}