Vicksburg Warren School District (VWSD) Superintendent Dr. Tori Holloway was the featured speaker at Wednesday’s Chamber of Commerce Luncheon at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

Holloway began by announcing that VWSD no longer has any schools receiving a failing grade.

A new effort is underway to improve school performance called “Vicksburg Warren School District 2030,” Holloway said.

“Leader in Me is still our foundation,” he added. “Our goal is that every school in the district is a lighthouse school. But, everything will flow around ‘Portrait of a Graduate.'”

Holloway explained Portrait of a Graduate as a program that builds on the foundation of skills learned through the Leader in Me program. 

“What we will do now is give them 21st century skills . . . so they come in (to the job force) with certain skills and will be effective employees.

“The four competencies . . . are adaptability, communication, responsibility and critical thinking. In kindergarten, we will say ‘what does it mean to be adaptable?’ and we will put that on a kindergartener’s level so they understand that being adaptable means that no matter what situation they’re in, they can change or they know how to move based on the situation.”

Holloway detailed a new plan involving the public to explore the needs of the community so graduates can be taught what employers are looking for in job applicants. 

“We will conduct what we call empathy interviews,” Holloway said. “Some of us will be reaching out to you (the community) to talk to you about what your experiences have been with the school district, what we can do better and what you want to see. I think that’s more intimate than just sending out a survey . . . we will sit down and truly listen to people.

“After we finish the strategic plan, our directors will have to develop a plan around that, to support learning in the district.” 

Holloway explained the concept of Ikigai, a Japanese philosophy that strives to help people combine the things they love with what the world needs and what they can be paid to do in seeking a vocation.

Holloway also celebrated Dana Road Elementary School and its achievement of becoming an Emerging Science of Reading School. Two other schools in the district, Beechwood and Bovina elementary schools, have already met the requirements for this achievement.

According to the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), the Science of Reading (SoR) refers to the research that reading experts have conducted on how people learn to read. Using a program called Structured Literacy, schools teach components that are found to ensure reading success. MDE states the recognition of becoming a SoR school “indicates teachers have been trained in the science of reading, exemplified a change of instructional practices and embodied a school culture that focuses on building skillful, strong readers in kindergarten through third grade.”

Holloway closed his comments by encouraging people to continue having faith and trust in the local education system. 

“We have a good school district,” he said.

VWSD currently has a B rating, an indication of good performance by the district and its students.