Crowley ISD Connections Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 6

superintendent
message
from Dr. McFarland
During the summer of my third year of teaching, I had an experience that changed my entire
educational philosophy. As a trigonometry and accounting teacher, I had the privilege of teaching
extremely bright and motivated students. My students had great aspirations and big dreams, but I
could tell that they had very little knowledge of what it actually took to achieve their desires. They
simply had no infrastructure in place for success.
During that summer, I saw one of my former students in a mall. He was a really sharp student who
had great aspirations. We exchanged a few words and then I heard him utter the words that I have
heard so many times since from other students, and it always makes my heart sink.
“I am doing ok, and I am getting ready to go to college, next semester,” he said.
Or from other students I have heard, “I am going back to school next year.”
After this and other similar conversations, I felt saddened and convicted. I realized I would
probably see that student in four or five years and the story would be very similar. He would still be
getting ready to go to college.
No matter how many state championships or district championships I was a part of, no matter
how many accolades we received as a campus, no matter how much we closed the achievement
gaps or how many recognitions we received, for the individual kid, if all we did was ensure that they
had a high school diploma when t