Editor's note: Reporter Andrea Rowland recently sat down with Elizabeth M. "Betty" Morgan, superintendent of schools for Washington County, to discuss issues facing the county's public schools. The answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: How would you define "world-class education?"
A: I define it as students and staff being at the top of their game. And by that I mean that students are performing at the highest levels that they can given their potentials. That staff is performing at the highest levels. That there's a high level of satisfaction in the school system. That our customers are extremely happy with our services. And let's call them services because we are in service to the taxpayers.
Q: And what is your role as superintendent in ensuring world-class education?
A: My role is really, I think, to set the vision. To ensure then that we also have a mission, that everybody is on board with the mission. And, more importantly than that, that I'm working like a demon to get the resources that are needed so that people can operate at peak performance. The superintendent's role is really in setting a vision and also ensuring that the day-to-day things are there to support people so they can really do their jobs well. It's not enough to be a visionary and say we want to do this, we want to improve test scores, we want to go here, we want to go there. If you're not ensuring that you're giving the people the support so they can accomplish these things, it's hollow. I think those are my roles.
