Dr. Kennedy Announces His Resignation
On November 30, Dr. Kennedy announced to the MISD staff as being selected as the new superintendent for McKinney ISD effective January 1, 2010.
Dr. Kennedy stated, "It is with a mixture of emotions that I need to inform you that I have been selected as the lone finalist for the McKinney ISD superintendent position. If all goes as planned, I will assume the responsibility of superintendent for McKinney ISD effective January 1, 2010. My six and one-half years here with Midlothian ISD have been the most rewarding and fulfilling in my career. I will always remember Midlothian with fondness and I am confident that Midlothian ISD will continue to be a school district that focuses on the learning needs of students. I hope that I have played a part in making Midlothian ISD a better school district. I do know that Midlothian ISD has enriched my life from the experiences and relationships that I have had the pleasure of having here. Thank you for six and one-half outstanding years in Midlothian ISD."
The Midlothian Board of Trustees will hold a special called meeting on Monday, November 30 at 6:30pm to accept Dr. Kennedy's resignation. The Board of Trustees, in the near future, will develop plans for the transition process.
This is Dr. Kennedy's seventh school year as Superintendent of Midlothian ISD and his 35th year as an educator. Since Dr. Kennedy has been in MISD, the majority of schools have either earned "Recognized" or "Exemplary" status. This past year, the district scored in the "Exemplary" range in 22 of the 25 academic measures. The other three measures were in the "Recognized" range. The staff has gone through extensive training in quality lesson design in order to provide engaging lessons for students. Each year MISD celebrates student achievements through an Educational Showcase. This event spotlights meaningful lessons representing each content area in grades pre-K-12.
For 2009, the Dallas Business Journal recognized Midlothian ISD as the 4th Best Place to Work in the metroplex among large companies (companies with over 500 employees). Midlothian ISD is the only school district ranked in the top ten Best Places to Work. More than 400 companies entered into the survey process. To earn the prestigious DBJ Best Places to Work designation, companies had to earn a national best practice score for their category. This ranking was based on the district's work environment, innovations/new ideas, people practices, personal growth and development, leadership, employee recognition and the structure of the day-to-day operations.
For the past seven years, the school district has received a "Superior Achievement " rating under the Texas' Schools FIRST (Financial Accountability Rating System of Texas). The Superior Achievement rating is the state's highest, demonstrating the quality of the school district's financial management and reporting system.
Dr. Kennedy initiated the Midlothian Education Foundation, which has awarded over $140,000 to teachers for innovative teaching grants. Also, the Foundation recognizes the top 5% of graduating seniors who honor MISD teachers at an annual "Showcase of Stars' banquet.
Since his arrival in 2003, the district has gained 30% in student enrollment. In order to manage this growth, Dr. Kennedy, along with the support of the community and Board of Trustees, created the Midlothian ISD Growth Management Committee. The goal of the initial committee was to develop a long-range plan to systematically address facility needs as the district continues to deal with ever-increasing student enrollment. The community has supported the District in meeting its facility needs by passing $117,785,000 in bond authorization.
Dr. Kennedy received his Doctorate in Education Administration from Texas A&M University at Commerce, a Master of Arts in Counseling from The University of Texas at San Antonio, and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science/Secondary Education from Baylor University.
His professional career experience is as follows:
- Superintendent of Schools at Midlothian ISD from 2003 to present
- Superintendent of Schools at Decatur ISD from 1998 to 2003
- Assistant Superintendent of Schools at Waco-Midway ISD from 1995 to 1998
- Elementary Principal at Allen ISD from 1989 to 1995
- Middle School Assistant Principal at Allen ISD from 1985 to 1989
- Teacher and Elementary Counselor at Richardson ISD from 1980 to 1985
- Teacher and Vocational Adjustment Coordinator at North East ISD (San Antonio) from 1977 to 1980
- Vocational Adjustment Coordinator at Southwest ISD (San Antonio) from 1975 to 1977
His wife, Pam, is a Diagnostician/Special Education Counselor in Waxahachie ISD. They have two sons who are both Baylor University alumni. They also have a beautiful granddaughter.
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