the road to excellence

What makes Marfa ISD a magnificent school district?

By ANDREW PETERS

Last week the Marfa I.S.D. Board of Trustees formally approved me to be your school district’s superintendent. I am honored to be given the task. Public education is under great scrutiny these days. Some of it may be justified. Most is not. I challenge readers to consider the importance of traditional public schools. Traditional schools serve all students.  Students in public school can be gifted, at-risk of graduating, have special needs, or lack the ability to use English in their daily conversations. Public school students can be ordinary or talented. One thing for sure, public schools serve all students.

When I first met the teachers of Marfa I.S.D., I asked them what makes Marfa schools a unique place to teach. Here is an abbreviated list from the teachers, plus a few of my own. Marfa I.S.D. is a special school district because:

• There is a sense of “family” on the campuses.
• Teachers build relationships with the students.
• A diverse collection of students come together and work as one.
• The community and education staff work together to support the whole child’s needs.
• One-on-one educational opportunities exist in Marfa I.S.D.
• Support staff (cafeteria workers, custodial staff, secretaries, teacher assistants) work as a team to provide a quality educational environment for the community’s children.
• Marfa ISD offers unique programs (many other schools provide some special programs, but few offer all that Marfa offers, especially for a small school district):
  • Martial arts
  • UIL sports (football, volleyball, basketball, track, softball, baseball)
  • Art in all grade levels
  • Foreign languages, Spanish and French.
  • Robotics
  • Industrial Technology (welding and agricultural mechanics)
  • Music in all grade levels including band.

Marfa public schools are educating students for the 21^st Century.  In the months ahead I will be telling you more about the opportunities for your children. Marfa schools will be working to partner with the business and arts community of Marfa to build on our successes and create solid educational opportunities for all children in Marfa. If you have an idea that you would like to share with us, please contact me at the administration office (432-729-4252)

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Upcoming activities and events for Marfa students and parents:

District Education Improvement Council… Today, August 23^rd 4 pm.

Meet the Teacher Night at Elementary Campus….Tonight, August 23^rd 6:30 pm.

Six man football…Saturday, August 25, 10 am in Ft.Davis (scrimmage).

Volleyball…Tuesday, August 28, 5 pm (3 team tournament).

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For more information about Marfa schools check out our website at www.marfaisd.com and our new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/marfashorthorns.  Check back at both sites as we are constantly improving them to be of service to our community.

You can email the superintendent at apeters@marfaisd.com.