MARTINSVILLE – More than 350 students, parents, teachers, and staff attended a special presentation recently detailing how Martinsville City Public Schools transformed its culture to have all its schools accredited in just one year.
The presentation, titled “Transforming a High Poverty School Division: Our Students Don't Have Time to Wait,” was held January 23 at Martinsville High School and included demonstrations from several student groups.
The changes instituted, explained superintendent Dr. Zeb Talley, included shifting the mindset within each school to a recognition that success is possible no matter the circumstances students face.
Faculty and staff, he said, “refused to love students to failure” by not accepting excuses and not allowing external factors to hinder student progress.
Joining Dr. Talley in the presentation was Angilee Downing, assistant superintendent for instruction, and principals at the system’s four schools: Aji Dixon at Martinsville High, Cynthia Tarpley at Martinsville Middle School, Renee Brown at Albert Harris Elementary School, and Cameron Cooper at Patrick Henry Elementary School.
The evening also highlighted Martinsville City Public Schools robotics, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), art and music programs with student demonstrations from:
Clearview Robotics: Tiny Coders
Patrick Henry Elementary School Robotics: Coding Kids
Patrick Henry Elementary School Robotics: Rain Shapers
Albert Harris Elementary School Robotics: Claws of Destiny
Martinsville Middle School Robotics: Magical Unicorns and Absolute Zero
Martinsville High School Robotics: Madawgs and Bionic Bulldogs
Martinsville High School Jazz band
Patrick Henry and Albert Harris Elementary Schools Choir
AVID
Odyssey of the Mind
K-12 Art Exhibit
In addition to faculty and staff, the event was attended by Martinsville school board members, Martinsville Mayor Kathy Lawson, members of the community, and representatives from Danville City Public Schools.
This presentation was first given in November 2019 at the Virginia School Boards Association annual conference in Williamsburg.
Comments