After chatting with the new Newton Municipal School Superintendent, I’m excited to see what the future holds.
After the Newton Municipal School Board hired Lola Bryant in June, I had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Bryant in a brief phone conversation. And I’ll be honest with you, I wondered if I was talking to a school administrator or Newton football coach Ryan Smith based on the amount of energy she showed in her voice. I felt like I wanted to get up and go teach a class after that conversation.
Dr. Bryant comes from the Louisville Public School District. She’s a person who has a wealth of knowledge over her 25-year career in education. She’s been everything from a classroom teacher and an adjunct professor
at Mississippi State to assistant superintendent and a person who gives seminars on how teachers can improve their teaching skills.
While she has never held the position of school superintendent, I don’t think that’s going to be much of a problem. She’s done just about everything you can do in education except for a superintendent’s position. I think her wealth of knowledge is going to be a major asset for this school district.
Newton Municipal Schools have fallen on hard times in recent years, as state test scores bear that out. Some of the issues are ones that can be controlled while others are not.
Outgoing superintendent Dr. Virginia Young has done some good things for the school district. I think she’s leaving the district in good position for the next person as long as the right person was hired.
My first impressions of Dr. Bryant make me feel that she may have been the best person for the job at this time.
The community needs to rally around the school district to make it the best it can be for the sake of the students.
Goodbye Dr. Brantley
While Newton recently hired its new superintendent, Union Public School District is saying goodbye to Lundy Brantley. He’s been a great friend to me and the newspaper.
And he’s done an excellent job in his short two-year tenure with Union.
I can’t blame Lundy for wanting to go back home to Neshoba County, but we’re going to miss him at Union. Best wishes for the future.
Contact Brent at bmaze@-newtoncountyappeal.com.
