Good is not good enough, said Willard Daggett, of the International Center for Leadership in Education, to more than 150 Cabarrus County Schools administrators on Tuesday.
"You have a really good school district," Daggett said. "Really good school districts are the toughest to improve."
Daggett said being a good district makes people complacent, and challenged the administrators to make Cabarrus County Schools one of the top 100 school districts in the country over the next five years.
Daggett was the keynote speaker on Tuesday during the first day of the Summer Leadership Academy, a three-day conference held at Cox Mill High School for administrators from the central office and schools in the system.
On Tuesday, Daggett addressed preparing students for the 21st century, components of successful schools, improving student performance during times of declining resources and rigor and relevance for all students.
"Rigor, Relevance and Relationships" is the theme of this year's Leadership Academy, which began about 10 years ago.
The conference started as a way to provide administrative professional development and bring administrators together, said Kelly Propst, assistant superintendent technology and accountability for the system.
"The content has always been aligned to the strategic plan," Propst said. "When you look at the strategic plan, the (top) areas are academics with rigor and with relationships."
Daggett addressed rigor and relationships in his early sessions on Tuesday. He said that relevance makes rigor possible for most students.
"The world is changing, and skills our graduates are going to need are higher and different than those we taught in the past," Daggett said.
Propst agreed.
"These kids need these concepts but want to know it in their world," Propst said. "(We have to) teach the concepts in their world and their language."
Daggett's message was one that several administrators said was familiar, and that it served as a good reminder.
"His information is eye-opening and motivating for us," Lynn Rhymer, principal at Northwest Cabarrus High School said. "It makes us sit back, think and look at what it takes (to get where we want to be)."
She said it was important to remember that Daggett said schools are not failing, but people need to look at the best ways to educate the students.
The purpose behind the leadership conference was for administrators continue learning about the best way to educate students and related topics.
"It's important to realize that administrators are constantly learning," Propst said. "As we continue to grow, it's important to us to keep up this kind of development."
The Summer Leadership Academy will continue today and tomorrow.
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