Collins named top state superintendent

By Billy Woods

WM School District

West Memphis' Jon Collins has been named Arkansas Schools Superintendent of the Year.

Buoyed by a new charter in his second year on the job in 2014 and this year an expansive new construction plan for several schools, Collins was recognized by state administrators at a surprise meeting on Tuesday night.

Dr. Richard Abernathy, Executive Director for the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators, surprised Collins before the start of Tuesday night's regular school board meeting. Several former and current superintendents in Arkansas were there for the presentation.

"I've watched Jon Collins for several years and he's done a remarkable job for West Memphis and its kids," said Abernathy. "The career technical programs at the high school strengthens that school. His facilities program has been very impressive. His predecessor, Mr. Kessinger, I think the world of him and I think Jon's just taken West Memphis to the next level."

The American Association of School Administrators Superintendent of the Year program, sponsored by ARAMARK Education, pays tribute to the talent and vision of the men and women who lead the nation's public schools. Candidataes are judged on the following criteria: leadership for learning, communication, professionalism and community involvement.

The West Memphis School District has a long history of serving as the cornerstone educational provider in the heart of the Mississippi River Delta region. WMSD is the largest employer in Crittenden County and the 14th largest school district in the state, serving approximately 5,600 students through 11 campuses.

Collins, who succeeded Kessinger in 2013, led the district's approval for the first conversion charter school in state history to partner a high school with a community college (ASU-Mid-South).

Collins' goal as superintendent is clearly described on his desk.

"Instead of a desk plate with my name on it, I prefer to display one with two words: Students first," Collins said. "Students first has been my battle cry since July 1, 2013 when I assumed the role of Superintendent of Schools of the West Memphis School District."

Collins has been a member of AAEA since 2001 and is involved in other community and professional organizations. He has received numerous honors and awards related to his work as a school administrator.

Collins is a 1989 graduate of West Memphis High School. His educational background includes dean of students at WMHS, Middle School principal at Harrisburg, West Junior High principal and WMHS principal.

Ribbon cutting at Weaver

The elaborate make-over at Weaver Elementary was officially celebrated on Monday with a ribbon cutting among other activities. On hand for the event were principal Shelia Grissom, West Memphis superintendent Jon Collins, assistant superintendent Terri McCann, state reps Milton Nicks and Deborah Ferguson as well as school board members. After the formalities, the visitors were treated to a mini concert by the Weaver choir and the visitors were allowed to tour the new facilities.

BLUE DEVILS GO GREEN ENERGY Efficiency Rebate for new Bragg Elementary: $24,900 and more on the way! THANK YOU to CenterPoint Energy, ETFC Architects, and WMSD Facilities Director, Clint Byard for making these funds possible. From left: Kirk Pierce (CPE), Jim Robb (WMSD), Diana Nicks (CPE), Clint Byard (WMSD), Jon Collins (WMSD)

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WMSD STAFF: 2018 HEALTH INSURANCE is available on www.wmsd.net/staff Wellness Discount Deadline 10/31/2017 Open Enrollment Oct. 1-31, 2017

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ALL After School activities including games, practices, tutoring, etc.) have been CANCELLED today, Thursday 8/31/2017 Applies to all WMSD campuses

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A New Face Join us as we celebrate our new look Weaver Elementary School 1280 East Barton Street West Memphis, Arkansas Monday, September 11, 2017 4 o’clock in the afternoon A New Journey

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Support Blue Devil Athletics and enjoy steak dinner for ONLY $10! Friday 9/8/17

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New West coach to have number retired

By Billy Woods

WM School District

New West Junior High football Clifton Davis III brings quite a resume to West Memphis, both coaching and playing. But his biggest honor will be Oct. 7 when his high school retires his number.

Davis will have his No. 19 retired on Oct. 7 at North Panola (Miss.), where he set three national records as a quarterback from 1988-91.

"It's a big honor," said Davis. "It was a fun high school career.

When Davis closed out his high school career he was the all-time national leader in passing yards with 9,309 and with 104 touchdown passes. Both of those records have since been broken. But Davis still holds the national high school record for throwing 10 touchdowns in a single game, which came in a 96-0 North Panola victory over Coldwater, Miss.

Davis' father, Clifton Jr., was the North Panola head coach.

"The first game that season I threw 8 touchdowns against Holly Springs and I came out of the game in the third quarter," Davis recalled. "We beat them 70-0. I got up the next morning and read where the (Jackson) Clarion Ledger named me Player of the Week. They mentioned I was one touchdown away from tying a national record for TD passes in a game. My Dad told me if we got another chance that season that we were going to go for (the record). We had the stars aligned and kind of had the perfect storm.

When asked if he expects his 10 touchdown passes to remain a while he replied, "You never know with the way people throw the ball these days. There are spread offenses out there where they're throwing every down. I played when throwing the football wasn't as in vogue as it is today. I was never in the shotgun. I was always under center. I just wonder now what I could have done in a spread and throwing out of the shotgun."

Davis went on to play one year at the University of Memphis under Chuck Stobart when the Tigers had receivers Isaac Bruce and Russell Copeland, quarterback Steve Matthews and linebacker Danton Barto in 1993.

After being a high school head coach for many years in Mississippi, Davis said he's excited to be in West Memphis.

"It's been real fun so far here," he said. "Things have been going good here so far and I'm hoping we can have a nice run."

Davis' son, eighth-grader Cameron, is a rising standout quarterback. Cameron was selected to the USA 14-and-under national team. He already stands 6-feet and 185 pounds.

"(Cameron) can spin it," said Davis. "I've been training him since he was six."

Anticipated first-day at brand new Bragg

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Cassie Adams will have you know she's not a morning person.

As much as that works against her nature as an elementary school principal, Adams pushes the "go" button quite well.

Monday was the first day of school and as usual she was too excited to sleep the night before.

"This is my 10th year in education and I literally can't sleep the night before the first day of school," Adams said. "It's just the little jitters of excitement."

But this was no normal first day of school.

The new Bragg had been unveiled to the public a week earlier, but the brand new 72,000 square foot state-of-the-art structure housed its first students on an historic day in the West Memphis School District.

"We've waited a long time for this moment, and it's kind of surreal now that it's here," Adams with with a smile. "It's been a whirlwind trying to get everything together for the first day and the students. But we've been ready and we're so blessed."

Normally, Adams said she arrives at school at 7 a.m. But on Monday she arrived at Bragg at 6:40 a.m. along with her son, Mason, a seventh-grader at West Junior High.

"He was also excited about the first day at Bragg and he told me he wanted to come help me get started," Adams added.

As you might expect there were a lot of questions to be answered on the first day at a brand new building.

"Direction Day," is what Adams called it.

Plenty of parents and students had to be directed to their children's beautiful new classrooms. The first thing to hit them, however, upon walking through the spacious grand entry hall was the smell.

"Yep, it's got that 'new' smell to it," one parent stated. "Kind of like that great smell of a new car. No mistaking it."

After Adams welcomed all the students and it was time to begin classes at 8:15 a.m., the principal visited every classroom and asked each one the same question.

"How do y'all like your new rooms?" Adams asked.

Each answer was a resounding "Awesome!"

One historic school day down, 177 more to go.

AWM hits cutting edge with cyber security program

By Billy Woods

You can add another new direction for students at the Academies of West Memphis to pursue in order to be career-ready as soon as they walk off the stage at their graduation.

AWM has been selected to be the lead school to pilot the Cybersecurity pathway for the Arkansas Department of Career Education. Students will have the opportunity to learn about programming, networking and cybersecurity during this three-year pathway.

Students will be offered courses that introduce cybersecurity concepts and hands-on practice as well as career opportunities in Information Technology. Students will also learn about cybersecurity concepts, the fundamental principles of networking systems, network infrastructure and network security and be able to demonstrate how to implement various aspects of security within a networking system.

Cybersecurity is just the latest addition to AWM's charter format which continues its pioneer journey toward more effective education for all students. In addition tol preparing students after graduation with pathways that include Associates Degree, Bachelors Degree, Aviation and Airframe Mechanics, Diesel Mechanics, Hospitality and Entertainment, Healthcare and more.

"In seeking other avenues for our students within our career-ready concept, we began looking at the technology standpoint," said AWM principal Gary Jackson. "We started looking at cybersecurity. With the cell phones, I-pads and all the technology that crosses over into industry...looking at the cyber attacks that have been going on, we started having conversations about cybersecurity."

Jackson and West Memphis School Superintendent Jon Collins attended the Northeast Arkansas Masters Conference for administrators. The main speaker, Kathy Turner, met with Collins and Jackson about adding cybersecurity to the AWM curriculum.

"Kathy sent us some information that said by the year 2019 there will be one million jobs in cybersecurity across the country," Jackson added. "We'll be offering sophomores an introduction to the infrastructure. Our kids will learn what an attack looks like and how to detect something suspicious. Our kids will have an advantage when they get out into the workforce with this three-year plan."

The combination of skills gained in this program will be attractive to many employers in the area and abroad. Across the nation at this time there are 40,000 unfilled jobs calling for students to have this type of training.

Salaries in the industry range from $35,000 to $85,000 a year. The pathway will recruit digital learners that want to explore, learn and achieve in this career field.

Jackson said his school has begun talks to partner with Arkansas Tech University, ASU-Mid-South and the University of Memphis.

"So, if any of our kids want to go on post high-school graduation and further their skills it would open up more opportunities for them," said Jackson.

The cybersecurity classes began with the fall semester of 2017. Gerry Wartenberg and Vicki Buck teach the classes.

"When we started our journey through this avenue we all attended a workshop in Washington, D.C., and we got to visit with the guy who is head of cybersecurity for the White House," Jackson said. "The thing that really shook us at that time was he told us in one year there were 40,000 new jobs in this area in the Virginia region, tied into the government. He told us that if a kid got out of high school with three years of this type of training he could get hired on the spot. Just think about how that sounds. You can graduate high school, have zero debt and start a career."

Cybersecurity isn't the only new addition to the AWM charter.

Supply chain management was also recently added. In this program, students will study and gain basic understanding of global logisitics and supply chain technology, transportation systems, communication skills and customer service skills.

Students will gain knowledge regarding the impact of forecasting on supply, manufacturing and purchasing from point of origin to consumer. The multitude of career opportunities within this pathway will be explored. Exposure to industry site visits as well as warehouse, distribution center and retain space will be provided to the students of the program.

The supply chain pathway will allow students to create stages, which includes suppliers, producers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers.

"From our standpoint, when we're looking at our students, we're looking at restructuring what we're offering our kids," Jackson stated. "We're also offering soft skills classes, where kids will learn to prepare resumes and learn to speak to someone when they go for a job interview. They will also learn how to dress and do research on the firm they want to work for. It's just a class on how to sell themselves and present themselves when entering the workforce.

"We're also offering a social media class and within the next five years we're hoping to partner with a drone program, where our kids will learn to fly drones within the shipping industry. The drones will allow companies to do inventory in one day as opposed to a human being taking a few days to do it."

Billy Woods <bwoods@wmsd.net>

Aug 7 (3 days ago)

Bragg dedication a blast!

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis School District started the 2017-18 school year with a detonation loud enough to be heard in Central Arkansas.

Teachers and administrators reported for work on Thursday with a flurry of activity that lured the State Department of Education's commissioner. Most notable, however, and with much anticipation, was the formal dedication of a new Bragg Elementary that also brought out local and other state dignitaries.

The brand new 72,000 square-foot Bragg will open for classes on Aug. 14.

Amidst a group that included architects, construction workers, West Memphis mayor Bill Johnson, state senator Keith Ingram, school board members, state reps Milton Nicks and Deborah Ferguson, superintendent Jon Collins and State Department of Education Commissioner Johnny Key, the ribbon was cut on the state-of-the-art facility which will include enormous space for offices, classrooms and a gymnasium.

Key, who earlier in the day addressed the district's teachers, said he wanted to come to West Memphis to see the final products, not only at Bragg, but at four other schools which underwent major construction renovations.

"Not long after I was named commissioner I wanted to know where the good stories were in education in Arkansas," said Key. "It didn't take long for West Memphis to jump off the page. Sometimes it's the big things, sometimes it's the little things. I'd say today is a big thing. I am so impressed particularly with the (Bragg) library with the outdoor reading area. Schools shouldn't be about locking kids in a room. Give them a great experience. This whole building looks like it's going to be a great experience for the Bragg students."

After the ribbon cutting, hundreds who came out for the dedication were invited to tour the facility.

Key, along with Ingram, toured Faulk and Richland elementaries before landing at Bragg.

"It looks like y'all are on the move in West Memphis," Key said with a smile.

"When we noticed what was happening here a year or so ago, we wanted to send our (State Department of Education) video crew here to do a video on your partnership with FedEx and ASU-Mid-South," Key added. "It's up on Youtube and it just tells a marvelous story about what's going on here. Now, with all the renovation and construction it's just further proof that things are moving along pretty swiftly in West Memphis."

The completion of the renovations at Faulk, Richland, Weaver Elementary, Maddux Elementary and the Academies of West Memphis is the end of Phase I was the WMSD's multi-phase renovation plan to upgrade facilities.

Ribbon Cutting for New Bragg Elementary. THANK YOU to all who helped make it happen. Great day to be a BLUE DEVIL!!!

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