The Board of Trustees of the Columbus Municipal
School District
selected the next Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Del R. Phillips.
A welcome
reception and press conference will be held Thursday,
March 29, 2007 at Brandon Central Services Center. The Press
Conference will be held at 4:30 - 5:00PM. Following the press
conference, please join the Board of Trustees in offering
a community-wide welcome to Dr. Phillips who will be available
to meet and greet educators, parents and the community.
Welcome
Reception Photo Gallery
Dr. Phillips earned his Bachelor of Science in Education from
Mississippi State University in 1995. His major was Technology
Teacher Education with a minor in Marketing Technology. In
1997 he obtained his Master of Education with a focus on Educational
Leadership, K-12 Administration. Dr. Phillips spent the summer
of 1998 as a Thomas R. Ward Fellow at Harvard University and
earned his Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of
Mississippi in May 2000.
Dr. Phillips' career as an educator began at South Panola
High School in Batesville where he taught Cooperative Education.
He soon advanced to Assistant Principal Intern. Assistant
to the Superintendent and ultimately Principal/Athletic Director
of the 1,275 student high school.
In June, 2005, Dr. Phillips was hired in his current position
of Associate/Zone Superintendent in Springfield, MO. He manages
and directs a zone of 20 schools comprised of nearly 12,000
students, 35 administrators and 535 full-time teachers.
When Dr. Phillips describes his leadership style the words
"team" and "teamwork" often dominate the
conversation. "When I come to Columbus I'm going to be
part of a team. I will have some talents and ideas that I'll
put on the table. We'll discuss those and we'll make the best
decision for the team," states Dr. Phillips. He is also
an advocate of gaining input from anyone and everyone willing
to share.
And with Dr. Phillips, it's all about the children. "We
have to find out how children in Columbus learn, how they
accept information and how they give that information back
to us so we can assess their progress. That's where leadership
comes into play; listening to principals, teachers, and students.
Often students are left out of that process. We need to ask
them, "what's working for you? What made last week's
lesson good? What helped? What didn't?" We must give
validity to what students say about our schools. They are
our primary customers."
Dr. Phillips is already looking ahead to July 1, his first
official day on the job. "I have a high level of respect
for all members of the Columbus team. They know a lot more
about Columbus Municipal School District than I do. Once we
get to know each other, we will move forward together to accomplish
what's best for students. I believe you empower people to
do great things and let them do it. All great accomplishments
start with a single idea or plan, but it takes many members
of a team to accomplish the work. I look forward to
being a part of the team that's going to make great accomplishments
for all the children of Columbus."
Welcome, Dr. Phillips!
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The
StarCatcher Award was presented to Michael Jackson,
Teacher at Lee Middle School, on Tuesday, December
18, 2007. Michael teaches Music Education, Girls Ensemble
Chorus, Showchoir, Multimedia, and Yearbook. All in one day.
He also sponsors Lee's annual Beauty Pageant. He takes his
choirs to elementary schools, nursing homes and community
events to sing and perform. He spends numerous hours after
school and on weekends preparing and practicing with the students.
Mr. Jackson also maintains and runs all of Lee's sound equipment,
designs the school newsletter and web page. Michael is a dedicated
and tireless team member at Lee Middle School.
difference
in the lives of others. Cadence Bank has partnered with our
district for this prestigious award. Mr. Jackson was nominated
by his principal, Cindy Wamble. He was presented with a certificate
and recognition pin plus a gift from Cadence Bank. This award
is only presented twice a year to deserving staff who go the
extra mile for our district!
ew
Teacher Induction Program was recently spotlighted in the
national publication, District Administrator. Melinda Lowe,
Professional Development Facilitator was interviewed for the
article, "Supporting New Teachers" which researched
the question, "Are induction programs worth the cost?"
Congratulations to Mrs. Lowe on her great work with CMSD's
STAR! 
