Host Cyrus Webb welcomes Dr. Lance Evans, State Superintendent of Education in Mississippi, to Conversations LIVE to discuss what sparked his education career , his role as State Superintendent and what his goals are for the school year.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Conversations Live. For more than a decade, we
brought you the best in books, entertainment, celebrity interviews and
current events. When the movers and shakers of the world
have something to say to you, they say it to
us first. Here's your host, Cyrus Webb.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome back everyone, the Conversation's live. I'm your host, Cyrus.
We'm glad you walk to join us once again for
a radio audience tuning in at WYD ninety four point
one FM and WYAD online dot com. Are glad that
you all can be with us. Also joining us online
worldwide era of podcast that I heart radio on Amazon Music.
We're glad you all could be with us as well.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Well.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I don't have to tell you guys, especially on the
radio side, that the new school year is here. My
nephew that's a singer this year, is pleasantly surprised and
excited about the school years. I'm sure a lot of
you guys are.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
We have a very.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Special guest that's joining us today though, to talk not
only about the school year, but also his objectives for
the school year as well. We're excited to welcome doctor
Lenz Evans to our broadcast. Doctor Evans is a state
superintendent of education here in Mississippi. We're going to talk
to him not only about that role, but also what
he's excited about when it comes to the school year,
and of course he's objective as well. Doctor Evans, thank
you so much for spending some time with us. Really
(01:11):
appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, thank you so much for asking.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
This is definitely a pleasure of mine. I am, you know,
someone who was born and raised in Mississippi, benefited from
schools in Mississippi, and I know that a lot of
people are excited about the changes they're seeing in Mississippi
when it comes to horses support as well. Talk to
us about for yourself, doctor Evans, what are you excited
about when it comes to this new school year.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Oh, first and foremost, I'm excited to have the opportunity
to work with our schools statewide, just like you. I
am a native of Mississippi from my entire life and
was born and raised in the northern part of the state,
but lucky enough to have relationships across all of Mississippi
with our superintendents and administrators and teachers. And I am excited,
(01:55):
like I said, to have that opportunity to serve and
also push forward the current success that we've been having
in Mississippi, but also building on that success to move
the state forward and creating, you know, just creating those
opportunities for students across all of Mississippi, because you know,
we have different things that happen in isolation that are
(02:18):
great things that are happening. But the but the issue
with that is we need to be able to leverage
that through a systems based approach to provide those opportunities
for all students in Mississippi.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
That's such a great point. I'm going to ask you
later about what we of the community can do to
support the efforts doctor Evans, But I want to talk
about for yourself, for those who made this be being
introduced to you, when it's your own love of education,
when did that begin that made you want to have
your own education career.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Well, to be honest with you, I can still remember
my kindergarten teacher. Her name was missus Judy Farrah, and
she was a wonderful lady. This is some of the
fondest memories of education to begin with her because she
was just such a wonderful lady and cared so much
about me, and I'll tell you I come from in
(03:07):
my family. There are a couple of educators that are
that are in there. The most notable one is my grandfather.
He was he had somewhere right around forty years I
think it was around thirty nine years in public education
over the course of his career as a teacher, coach,
Friendsville superintendent. So I'll tell you he as I was
(03:27):
growing up, helped build in me that love for education.
But it wasn't when I was in high school that
I thought I would ever be an educator. I probably
was not too different from a lot of people and
actually ran from the thing that I really ended up
needing to do, you know, because I thought that because
being with him, it's because my mother, she's in the
(03:50):
healthcare field, and being with him, you know, I always
saw that's probably not what I could. You know, it
is as a kid, you think you want to do
your own thing. And it wasn't an he'll uh, let's
see here. My freshman year of college and probably the
beginning of the second semester that I really made a
decision that that was exactly what I wanted to do.
(04:11):
And it wasn't it was teachers, but it's also coaches
that had a huge impact on me. And also i'll
call this person's named mister Jimmy Weeks. He was a
He was actually my act teacher, and we had a
very large, robust FFA program in the high school. I
was lucky enough to start in one high school and
excuse me, in one school and finish my entire life.
(04:33):
So very lucky to do that. And uh, you know,
he had an impact on me. And it uh just
through that, you know, I guess that process of growing up.
I realized, hey, you know this is this is this
is what I'm called to do, and just took off
and never looked back.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, and as you mentioned, having that influence even in
your family, doctor Evans. And then of course you're being
able to go throughout that same path as serving as
a different capacities as teacher and coach, you know, principal
district superintendent. Now, as I mentioned, you were the state
superintendent of education. So for an audience that may not know,
talk to us about that role and exactly what that
(05:11):
what that entels.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
So first and foremost people are confused sometimes about the job.
They think that the state superintendent is the is the
false for lack of a better word, of all superintendents
in Mississippi, and that is not the case. You know,
our school districts have local control. They each have boards,
(05:33):
they each have boards that govern them. And the primary
role of the state superintendent is is really support it
all bases from that mindset, and this agency exists to
support the school districts of Mississippi. Without them, there would
be no reason to have a state superintendent position or
(05:54):
Mississippi Department of Education. So and that is very in
tune with my beliefs, UH my core values. I am.
I am a servant. That is how I have the
best way for me to describe uh my belief and
how my leadership style is. And UH this that the
other pieces that are associated with this role. A. There
(06:16):
is a lot of a lot of work on the
political side, because I do understand the importance of that
relationship between our elected officials Mississippi members of the Mississippi Legislature.
Uh there is a direct correlation between their support and
our success and also uh a direct link between the
(06:38):
relationship between our school districts and the m D because
what we do is we create systems and we and
and and that support each of the different areas of Mississippi.
And the thing is is, while lots of times we
have to create a more of a standardized type process
(06:59):
in which districts have the opportunity to benefit from, my
goal is also to create in those processes, to build
in a system to where they can be nimble, if
you will, to where they can be adapted to the
individual areas. And I have a quote, as I've said
it so many times, and I've got a big picture
of it in my offices. You can't understand the world,
do you understand? Place like Mississippi? Is a William Faultner quote,
(07:21):
and that is that is a fact because Mississippi is
distinctly different, you know, from north to south, to east
to west. And while we are have similar successes, we
have different struggles. And it's important that we understand that
as a whole. Our goal is to produce a product
(07:43):
in the public schools and it is an active, productive
member of society that contributes back to not only the
nation or the state, but the community in which helped
develop them. And that is very very important to me
being from a small town and understanding the importance of
that and understanding and Mississippi has made up of those
small towns. It is very very it's very vital that
(08:06):
you understand that and that that drives you. But there's
several other pieces. If we were to go into a
detailed job description, we would be here quite some time.
Overall that that philosophy is that that servant but leaders human.
The servant philosophy is what is essential to being, in
(08:28):
my opinion, successful here in this position.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
I appreciate that I noticed one of the goals that
you have, doctor Evans, that is near and dear to myself.
We've addressed here on this broadcast by having individuals talk
about it, and that is you want to be able
to address a teacher shortage. Of course, you mentioned the
teachers that have benefited you. I've had great teachers for myself,
and it's great that everyone can be a to have
that opportunity to talk to us about why that's a
(08:53):
priority for you when you're looking at this school year.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
You know, I was. I met with doctor Courtney Vanglie
the other day, who heads up those efforts primarily from
the department, and two of the areas that we discussed
at linked one was, you know, being Mississippi, the fact
that it is such a relationship state. Is us designing
(09:16):
a system so that we can coordinate our efforts in
our educational in our educational providers with our educational providers,
I'm sorry, in our universities to get access to our
students that may be entering their junior year of college,
which means they typically are rolling into that situation where
(09:38):
they're prime very heavily based in their teacher at program
two for us, for the department to almost think of
it as not an employment agency, but a first line
of defense as far as holding those students with us,
and then the Department then bringing in the different school
districts to be able to almost create a pipeline. Because
(10:01):
my goal would be for those students before they leave
the teacher had programs are in to already be employed.
That's my goal. Uh. And what that does is that
potentially warrants off them leaving to go to another state.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
They immediately see the value in the in the public
education system of Mississippi. And UH and just kind of
you get your you get your get your clause if
you will, for lack of a better word, in them
to keep them here, because the thing is, if we
don't take that aggressive approach, they will they'll, you know,
they're level to go somewhere else. They will end us
(10:37):
in Atlanta or somewhere in Texas or you know. There's
because when you look at these job fairs, recruiting fairs.
As a superintendent, I've gone to several in my years,
and uh, there are some recruiters there from other states
that they are literally offering contracts to teachers setting at
the job fair. So my goal is to not let
(10:59):
those people, those then ever get to that point, if
that makes sense. Now, there are some of that students
I'm just going to go because they want to go,
and it's in their mind, and that's just you know
that I'm all for them. I want them to be happy.
But my goal is to limit that even that access
to those people, those outside entities. Uh, you know, because
I'm obviously I'm an American and i love the United States.
But I'm a Mississippian and I'm worried about keeping our
(11:20):
Mississippi teachers here. That's who I'm concerned about. Uh. And
another piece is looking at our our tenure teachers. You know,
So thank goodness, We had a bill that was passed
this past year that allowed our retired teachers to come
back and it allowed it allows he or she to
spend a period of five years. But now there are
(11:41):
several qualifications if you will, and it's not necessarily qualifications
from a teacher head qualification. Now obviously they have to
meet the same requirements from a certification standpoint as they
did when they were in the classroom. That they're boxes
that they have to check if you will to be
able to qualify for that opportunity. I would like for
us during this legislative session to decrease some of those barriers.
(12:04):
I think that moving in that direction was a great
first step. But I think it was the first step
so that we can any teacher anywhere in Mississippi that
he or she has completed the time in which they
are you know, this required of them because you know,
we have Harit legacy employees and Horizon employees and that's
basically a four versus an eight year tenure track if
(12:26):
you will, to get we don't have tenure, but a
four to eight year track in the retirement system to
be yeah, let's use the word tenure to be retenured.
In the retirement system that did, they have the opportunity
to come back. So whether they've eclipsed their twenty five
or they've eclipsed their thirty, that way they have you know,
they have that opportunity to come back and contribute. And
(12:49):
what that looks like is if they draw their retirement
and then while they're employed, and this is no different
than what's currently the law that was past, they pay
into the retirement system just as they were, but then
they also are paid to be an employee, a teacher
in the school district because when they leave all of
that knowledge base, all of the you think, you just
(13:10):
think about over the course of twenty five or thirty years,
the amount of financial resources that we have poured into
teachers to get them to where they are in their career.
And then when they retire and we don't give them
an avenue to come back, we're just giving it all away.
And you think, when you think of it from a
purely economic standpoint, that makes absolutely no sense. And then
(13:33):
we have to start over, if you will. So that's
a Those are two primary ways to attack that issue
other than the obvious, which I like to think it's obvious,
is ensuring that our employee, our teachers have a high
degree of quality of life in the workplace. You know,
that is our administrators have to understand this because in
(13:56):
the end, that administrator is not going to be successful.
Teacher doesn't want them to be, and that teacher is
not going to be successful that student doesn't want them
to be. So in that district superintendent, of course, it
follows that progression. But I always say the district will
only be as good as the community demands it to be.
So there, but my goal is to make sure that
our people hold themselves even to even higher standard than that.
(14:20):
That's how I have always operated personally, So it has
benefited me. But I've also had the opportunity to work
with wonderful people because another thing I always say is
it doesn't matter what you know if you can't convince
people to follow you. So that's a long answer to
that short question. So I apologize for that.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
No, no, no, The passion you have for it, Dutch's
definitely comes through, and I think that goes to the
point of the last thing I wanted to mention for
an audience, and that's why it's so important for us.
I don't have children of my own, but to be
able to support those that are in the school system,
to do what we can, to be able to support
our local schools and educated, and of course to be
able to do our part for the students as well
(14:58):
to meet this a productive year for them. Doctor lin Evans,
I really appreciate you spending some time with us. As
I mentioned, doctor Abbas is the state Superintendent of Education,
talking with us only about his own journey that led
him to where he is now, but also the impact
he wants to continue to make when it comes to
the Mississippi Department of Education and doctor Evans, it goes
what I'm saying you welcome back here anytime. Looking forward
(15:18):
speaking with you again.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I want to throw one one more quick thing out there. Yes,
so something is vital that we have to have our
communities help us with is making sure we get students
to school because the bottom line is if they're not there,
we can't educate them. And we have an issue nationwide
that revolves around chronic absenteeism. And the definition of chronic
(15:44):
absenteeism is any student who is absent for any reason
whatsoever at all. Literally, that student could be attending a
funeral for a family member, and if they're out two
days in a month, because it's measured by month. If
if they're out two days, let's say that was in January.
If they're out two days in January, they're considered chronically
(16:04):
absent for January in their school. So it is making
sure that we and all too often I don't think
people understand the importance and the significance that goes along
with that on the back end, because you know, the
thing is if you are considered chronically absent for the
course of the period of the year, you're basically a
miss ten percent of the school year, which that's a lot,
(16:26):
you know, because we have a finite amount of time
to get our students be where we need them to be.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
So I just wanted to throw that out there well again,
something that we can all be able to work on.
Dr Evans again, thank you for that, and thank you
again for the great work you've been able to do
in your education career. And as I mentioned, you have
an open limitation here looking forward to speak with you again.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Yes, thank you so much. I have a good week
here to you.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
As well, and we think your audience for tuning in
to another great segment of Conversations Live until next time.
I'm the host service websit is always enjoy your day,
enjoy your life, enjoy your world. Thank you all for
chusing Conversations Life. Then it's going to make today amazing.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Take care,
Welcome to Conversations Live. For more than a decade, we
brought you the best in books, entertainment, celebrity interviews and
current events. When the movers and shakers of the world
have something to say to you, they say it to
us first. Here's your host, Cyrus Webb.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome back everyone, the Conversation's live. I'm your host, Cyrus.
We'm glad you walk to join us once again for
a radio audience tuning in at WYD ninety four point
one FM and WYAD online dot com. Are glad that
you all can be with us. Also joining us online
worldwide era of podcast that I heart radio on Amazon Music.
We're glad you all could be with us as well.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Well.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I don't have to tell you guys, especially on the
radio side, that the new school year is here. My
nephew that's a singer this year, is pleasantly surprised and
excited about the school years. I'm sure a lot of
you guys are.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
We have a very.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Special guest that's joining us today though, to talk not
only about the school year, but also his objectives for
the school year as well. We're excited to welcome doctor
Lenz Evans to our broadcast. Doctor Evans is a state
superintendent of education here in Mississippi. We're going to talk
to him not only about that role, but also what
he's excited about when it comes to the school year,
and of course he's objective as well. Doctor Evans, thank
you so much for spending some time with us. Really
(01:11):
appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, thank you so much for asking.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
This is definitely a pleasure of mine. I am, you know,
someone who was born and raised in Mississippi, benefited from
schools in Mississippi, and I know that a lot of
people are excited about the changes they're seeing in Mississippi
when it comes to horses support as well. Talk to
us about for yourself, doctor Evans, what are you excited
about when it comes to this new school year.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Oh, first and foremost, I'm excited to have the opportunity
to work with our schools statewide, just like you. I
am a native of Mississippi from my entire life and
was born and raised in the northern part of the state,
but lucky enough to have relationships across all of Mississippi
with our superintendents and administrators and teachers. And I am excited,
(01:55):
like I said, to have that opportunity to serve and
also push forward the current success that we've been having
in Mississippi, but also building on that success to move
the state forward and creating, you know, just creating those
opportunities for students across all of Mississippi, because you know,
we have different things that happen in isolation that are
(02:18):
great things that are happening. But the but the issue
with that is we need to be able to leverage
that through a systems based approach to provide those opportunities
for all students in Mississippi.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
That's such a great point. I'm going to ask you
later about what we of the community can do to
support the efforts doctor Evans, But I want to talk
about for yourself, for those who made this be being
introduced to you, when it's your own love of education,
when did that begin that made you want to have
your own education career.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Well, to be honest with you, I can still remember
my kindergarten teacher. Her name was missus Judy Farrah, and
she was a wonderful lady. This is some of the
fondest memories of education to begin with her because she
was just such a wonderful lady and cared so much
about me, and I'll tell you I come from in
(03:07):
my family. There are a couple of educators that are
that are in there. The most notable one is my grandfather.
He was he had somewhere right around forty years I
think it was around thirty nine years in public education
over the course of his career as a teacher, coach,
Friendsville superintendent. So I'll tell you he as I was
(03:27):
growing up, helped build in me that love for education.
But it wasn't when I was in high school that
I thought I would ever be an educator. I probably
was not too different from a lot of people and
actually ran from the thing that I really ended up
needing to do, you know, because I thought that because
being with him, it's because my mother, she's in the
(03:50):
healthcare field, and being with him, you know, I always
saw that's probably not what I could. You know, it
is as a kid, you think you want to do
your own thing. And it wasn't an he'll uh, let's
see here. My freshman year of college and probably the
beginning of the second semester that I really made a
decision that that was exactly what I wanted to do.
(04:11):
And it wasn't it was teachers, but it's also coaches
that had a huge impact on me. And also i'll
call this person's named mister Jimmy Weeks. He was a
He was actually my act teacher, and we had a
very large, robust FFA program in the high school. I
was lucky enough to start in one high school and
excuse me, in one school and finish my entire life.
(04:33):
So very lucky to do that. And uh, you know,
he had an impact on me. And it uh just
through that, you know, I guess that process of growing up.
I realized, hey, you know this is this is this
is what I'm called to do, and just took off
and never looked back.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, and as you mentioned, having that influence even in
your family, doctor Evans. And then of course you're being
able to go throughout that same path as serving as
a different capacities as teacher and coach, you know, principal
district superintendent. Now, as I mentioned, you were the state
superintendent of education. So for an audience that may not know,
talk to us about that role and exactly what that
(05:11):
what that entels.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
So first and foremost people are confused sometimes about the job.
They think that the state superintendent is the is the
false for lack of a better word, of all superintendents
in Mississippi, and that is not the case. You know,
our school districts have local control. They each have boards,
(05:33):
they each have boards that govern them. And the primary
role of the state superintendent is is really support it
all bases from that mindset, and this agency exists to
support the school districts of Mississippi. Without them, there would
be no reason to have a state superintendent position or
(05:54):
Mississippi Department of Education. So and that is very in
tune with my beliefs, UH my core values. I am.
I am a servant. That is how I have the
best way for me to describe uh my belief and
how my leadership style is. And UH this that the
other pieces that are associated with this role. A. There
(06:16):
is a lot of a lot of work on the
political side, because I do understand the importance of that
relationship between our elected officials Mississippi members of the Mississippi Legislature.
Uh there is a direct correlation between their support and
our success and also uh a direct link between the
(06:38):
relationship between our school districts and the m D because
what we do is we create systems and we and
and and that support each of the different areas of Mississippi.
And the thing is is, while lots of times we
have to create a more of a standardized type process
(06:59):
in which districts have the opportunity to benefit from, my
goal is also to create in those processes, to build
in a system to where they can be nimble, if
you will, to where they can be adapted to the
individual areas. And I have a quote, as I've said
it so many times, and I've got a big picture
of it in my offices. You can't understand the world,
do you understand? Place like Mississippi? Is a William Faultner quote,
(07:21):
and that is that is a fact because Mississippi is
distinctly different, you know, from north to south, to east
to west. And while we are have similar successes, we
have different struggles. And it's important that we understand that
as a whole. Our goal is to produce a product
(07:43):
in the public schools and it is an active, productive
member of society that contributes back to not only the
nation or the state, but the community in which helped
develop them. And that is very very important to me
being from a small town and understanding the importance of
that and understanding and Mississippi has made up of those
small towns. It is very very it's very vital that
(08:06):
you understand that and that that drives you. But there's
several other pieces. If we were to go into a
detailed job description, we would be here quite some time.
Overall that that philosophy is that that servant but leaders human.
The servant philosophy is what is essential to being, in
(08:28):
my opinion, successful here in this position.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
I appreciate that I noticed one of the goals that
you have, doctor Evans, that is near and dear to myself.
We've addressed here on this broadcast by having individuals talk
about it, and that is you want to be able
to address a teacher shortage. Of course, you mentioned the
teachers that have benefited you. I've had great teachers for myself,
and it's great that everyone can be a to have
that opportunity to talk to us about why that's a
(08:53):
priority for you when you're looking at this school year.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
You know, I was. I met with doctor Courtney Vanglie
the other day, who heads up those efforts primarily from
the department, and two of the areas that we discussed
at linked one was, you know, being Mississippi, the fact
that it is such a relationship state. Is us designing
(09:16):
a system so that we can coordinate our efforts in
our educational in our educational providers with our educational providers,
I'm sorry, in our universities to get access to our
students that may be entering their junior year of college,
which means they typically are rolling into that situation where
(09:38):
they're prime very heavily based in their teacher at program
two for us, for the department to almost think of
it as not an employment agency, but a first line
of defense as far as holding those students with us,
and then the Department then bringing in the different school
districts to be able to almost create a pipeline. Because
(10:01):
my goal would be for those students before they leave
the teacher had programs are in to already be employed.
That's my goal. Uh. And what that does is that
potentially warrants off them leaving to go to another state.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
They immediately see the value in the in the public
education system of Mississippi. And UH and just kind of
you get your you get your get your clause if
you will, for lack of a better word, in them
to keep them here, because the thing is, if we
don't take that aggressive approach, they will they'll, you know,
they're level to go somewhere else. They will end us
(10:37):
in Atlanta or somewhere in Texas or you know. There's
because when you look at these job fairs, recruiting fairs.
As a superintendent, I've gone to several in my years,
and uh, there are some recruiters there from other states
that they are literally offering contracts to teachers setting at
the job fair. So my goal is to not let
(10:59):
those people, those then ever get to that point, if
that makes sense. Now, there are some of that students
I'm just going to go because they want to go,
and it's in their mind, and that's just you know
that I'm all for them. I want them to be happy.
But my goal is to limit that even that access
to those people, those outside entities. Uh, you know, because
I'm obviously I'm an American and i love the United States.
But I'm a Mississippian and I'm worried about keeping our
(11:20):
Mississippi teachers here. That's who I'm concerned about. Uh. And
another piece is looking at our our tenure teachers. You know,
So thank goodness, We had a bill that was passed
this past year that allowed our retired teachers to come
back and it allowed it allows he or she to
spend a period of five years. But now there are
(11:41):
several qualifications if you will, and it's not necessarily qualifications
from a teacher head qualification. Now obviously they have to
meet the same requirements from a certification standpoint as they
did when they were in the classroom. That they're boxes
that they have to check if you will to be
able to qualify for that opportunity. I would like for
us during this legislative session to decrease some of those barriers.
(12:04):
I think that moving in that direction was a great
first step. But I think it was the first step
so that we can any teacher anywhere in Mississippi that
he or she has completed the time in which they
are you know, this required of them because you know,
we have Harit legacy employees and Horizon employees and that's
basically a four versus an eight year tenure track if
(12:26):
you will, to get we don't have tenure, but a
four to eight year track in the retirement system to
be yeah, let's use the word tenure to be retenured.
In the retirement system that did, they have the opportunity
to come back. So whether they've eclipsed their twenty five
or they've eclipsed their thirty, that way they have you know,
they have that opportunity to come back and contribute. And
(12:49):
what that looks like is if they draw their retirement
and then while they're employed, and this is no different
than what's currently the law that was past, they pay
into the retirement system just as they were, but then
they also are paid to be an employee, a teacher
in the school district because when they leave all of
that knowledge base, all of the you think, you just
(13:10):
think about over the course of twenty five or thirty years,
the amount of financial resources that we have poured into
teachers to get them to where they are in their career.
And then when they retire and we don't give them
an avenue to come back, we're just giving it all away.
And you think, when you think of it from a
purely economic standpoint, that makes absolutely no sense. And then
(13:33):
we have to start over, if you will. So that's
a Those are two primary ways to attack that issue
other than the obvious, which I like to think it's obvious,
is ensuring that our employee, our teachers have a high
degree of quality of life in the workplace. You know,
that is our administrators have to understand this because in
(13:56):
the end, that administrator is not going to be successful.
Teacher doesn't want them to be, and that teacher is
not going to be successful that student doesn't want them
to be. So in that district superintendent, of course, it
follows that progression. But I always say the district will
only be as good as the community demands it to be.
So there, but my goal is to make sure that
our people hold themselves even to even higher standard than that.
(14:20):
That's how I have always operated personally, So it has
benefited me. But I've also had the opportunity to work
with wonderful people because another thing I always say is
it doesn't matter what you know if you can't convince
people to follow you. So that's a long answer to
that short question. So I apologize for that.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
No, no, no, The passion you have for it, Dutch's
definitely comes through, and I think that goes to the
point of the last thing I wanted to mention for
an audience, and that's why it's so important for us.
I don't have children of my own, but to be
able to support those that are in the school system,
to do what we can, to be able to support
our local schools and educated, and of course to be
able to do our part for the students as well
(14:58):
to meet this a productive year for them. Doctor lin Evans,
I really appreciate you spending some time with us. As
I mentioned, doctor Abbas is the state Superintendent of Education,
talking with us only about his own journey that led
him to where he is now, but also the impact
he wants to continue to make when it comes to
the Mississippi Department of Education and doctor Evans, it goes
what I'm saying you welcome back here anytime. Looking forward
(15:18):
speaking with you again.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I want to throw one one more quick thing out there. Yes,
so something is vital that we have to have our
communities help us with is making sure we get students
to school because the bottom line is if they're not there,
we can't educate them. And we have an issue nationwide
that revolves around chronic absenteeism. And the definition of chronic
(15:44):
absenteeism is any student who is absent for any reason
whatsoever at all. Literally, that student could be attending a
funeral for a family member, and if they're out two
days in a month, because it's measured by month. If
if they're out two days, let's say that was in January.
If they're out two days in January, they're considered chronically
(16:04):
absent for January in their school. So it is making
sure that we and all too often I don't think
people understand the importance and the significance that goes along
with that on the back end, because you know, the
thing is if you are considered chronically absent for the
course of the period of the year, you're basically a
miss ten percent of the school year, which that's a lot,
(16:26):
you know, because we have a finite amount of time
to get our students be where we need them to be.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
So I just wanted to throw that out there well again,
something that we can all be able to work on.
Dr Evans again, thank you for that, and thank you
again for the great work you've been able to do
in your education career. And as I mentioned, you have
an open limitation here looking forward to speak with you again.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Yes, thank you so much. I have a good week
here to you.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
As well, and we think your audience for tuning in
to another great segment of Conversations Live until next time.
I'm the host service websit is always enjoy your day,
enjoy your life, enjoy your world. Thank you all for
chusing Conversations Life. Then it's going to make today amazing.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Take care,
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