School Will Fill Almost Two-Dozen Vacancies
School Will Fill Almost Two-Dozen Vacancies
Staff Report
WATER VALLEY – The administration at the Water Valley School District is working to replace almost two-dozen employees who will not return in August when the new school year gets underway. The biggest loss is at the Water Valley High School, where 13 teachers will not return, representing more than nine decades of service collectively to the district. Included in the list are five coaches, who share dual roles as teachers.
The departing staff members cited multiple factors, with many choosing to move closer to their extended family, accepting promotions, or simply retiring at the conclusion of a successful career.
“With the start of each school year, we have educators and administrators that reach the end of their career or decide to go a different direction and it always saddens us to lose valued employees,” Superintendent Dr. Michael McInnis told the Herald.
“One positive, because of Water Valley’s stellar reputation is we have a very good pool of applicants,” McInnis also said, adding that he expected to present recommendations for all of the positions by the next school board meeting, scheduled June 13.
A number of exiting teachers spoke to the Herald, sharing their feelings about their time invested in the district and their future plans. For some it was a simple decision, such as Amber Bagwell, who stated, “I wanted to be closer to home and it was the right move for my family.”
Veteran teacher and coach Clint Faust, commented, “A lot goes into this decision, I want to be closer to my mom, and I want to be at a place where there is opportunity to grow and advance my career, but there was also a lot of turmoil this year. There was a close family-type atmosphere under Dr. Kitchens and that is gone now.”
Tracey South, the high school’s Health Sciences teacher for the past three years echoed that sentiment, stating, “I loved the family atmosphere that existed here at Water Valley. You always felt there was someone to help you or look out for you, but that is no longer the case.” South, who has now left the teaching profession to return to a career as a nurse, added,” It should say something that people are leaving their Alma Mater and their home to go elsewhere.”
Ryne Bankston, an English teacher at WVHS for two years, leaving a previous position at Byhalia Middle School due to the commuting distance from his home in Oxford. But now, Bankston is planning to return to Byhalia Middle School.
“I am a young, alternate route-certified teacher, and I need help to grow as an effective teacher, yet most of the feedback I got was just surface-level,” says Bank-ston, “for me, the driving distance (back to Byhalia) is worth it to know I am going to get the support I need as a teacher.”
The loss of coaches includes head baseball coach Kary Bridges, a six-year employee at the district who took a job at St. Martin High School, a 6A school on the coast.
“You can hate you are leaving and look forward to a new place at the same time,” Bridges told the Herald about his career move.
At Davidson Elementary School, the list of departing teachers includes five teachers, less than the previous year. At the administrative office, District Special Education Coordinator Butch Stevens and Athletic Director Trey Allman are retiring. McInnis reported head football coach Brad Embry will serve as the new athletic director when Allman steps down in September.
“Brad has great vision for our program,” McInnis told the Herald.
Dr. McInnis stated that he was hired by the School Board to raise the most recent D-rating by the Mississippi Department of Education. “The D-rating is an obstacle for the community and I was hired to remove that obstacle. But that said, my passion as superintendent is to provide each and every child with a world class education, they deserve nothing less,” said McInnis.
At the close of the 2015-2016 school year, the following teachers and coaches are not returning:
• Amber Bagwell, 7th grade ICT teacher and assistant softball coach;
• Ryne Bankston, 7th grade English teacher and golf coach;
• Kary Bridges, 12th grade government and economics teacher and head baseball coach;
• Casey Clouse, Biology II and Anatomy & Physiology teacher and head softball and volleyball coach;
• Clint Faust, Algebra II and Trigonometry teacher, assistant football coach, and head track and field coach; • Jency Hill, 8th grade Pre-Algebra teacher;
• Dr. Melinda Horton, student services coordinator;
• Anna Koshenina, junior and senior English teacher,
• Suzanne McCullough, Health and PE teacher and assistant volleyball coach; • Andrew McNeece, 11th grade World History teacher;
• Nicole Murchison, 9th grade English, 11th grade AP English, and dual enrollment Composition I teacher;
• Tracey South, Health Sciences teacher; and
• Tracey Varner, Algebra II and Geometry teacher.
