Lou S. Miller to serve on the Board of Directors at Apalachee Center, Inc.
7-10-12
The Governing Board of Directors of Apalachee Center, Inc., a leader in mental health care, has elected Lou S. Miller to serve on the Board of Directors at Apalachee Center, Inc. Superintendent Miller was elected at the Annual Board of Directors meeting held on June 20th, 2012. She will represent Madison County.
Lou S. Miller has been Madison County School Superintendent since November, 2004. Superintendent Miller earned a Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University, and a Master’s degree from Nova University. She is the recipient of the University of Florida’s Distinguished Educator Award, and North Florida Community College’s Outstanding Alumni Award. As a classroom teacher, Title I coordinator, resource teacher, assistant principal and principal, Superintendent Miller has been in education for 38 years.
Among other accomplishments, in 2001 she led the consolidation of five schools into one when Madison County Central was opened. In 2009, Madison County School District was selected to receive a Safe Schools-Healthy Students Initiative grant award (the only school district in Florida to receive the award). The grant project serves over 2,900 students in 9 schools.
She and her husband of 39 years live in Greenville. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.
Eddie, the disagreement may be less than it appears. I suggest that you read the best-seller Outliers to understand what may be needed to “improve” education in Madison County. Several of the points you mention are worth considering by the person elected to serve.
Demographics always plays a role. Economic circumstances also play a significant role. A friend of mine (Bob Brooks, Emory and Henry College, 1960-1964), often said “You get what you pay for.”
He included commitment as well as money in what he meant.
My children, Kristen (38), and Steven (36), graduated from Madison County High School. Kristen graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1996 and served eight years active duty in the US Army. She earned a Bronze Star in Kuwait and resigned her commission in 2004 to become a full-time stay-at-home money. She is home-schooling her children. Steven graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1998, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He served five years active duty in the US Air Force and a year in the inactive reserve. He earned a M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from IIT in 2003 while on active duty. Steven resigned his commission in 2006 and works for his inner city church in Los Angeles.
Numerous examples can be provided by others of successful graduates of Madison County Schools. I recommend highly reading Outliers. I also recommend The Other Wes Moore, an account of two men who grew up in Baltimore. One man is today a decorated Army veteran and a successful businessman; the other is incarcerated.
@Mr.C.:
In this instance, and on this issue, you and I differ in our opinions. That’s a unique situation for me.
For all of the talk and saber-rattling concerning jobs and income in Madison county, you would think that there would be universal agreement that the public school system possesses a greater potential impact than anything else within our local control. (Even, , more so than the liquor petition.)
“Demographics” be d*mned, Mr. Catron! Please, pretty please, identify the counties in Florida that have no “demographic” challenges. They don’t exist, do they? Every community faces their own problems. Yet, it appears, (due to the fact that there is one school system in last place), that other counties have found means and methods to adapt to and overcome their “demographic” challenges. It also appears that Madison County, under our current Superintendent, has not been quite as successful in overcoming our challenges.
Also, you shouldn’t be so comfortable comparing our school system to other, less than stellar, public school systems. I argue that the brains of children born to parents that live in Madison County are no less capable than the brains of children born in communities that have less of your “demographic” concerns. Why is it that we never see Madison County being compared to the top five school systems? After all, shouldn’t we be in the top five?
Rather than blaming “demographics”, Mr. Catron, why not lean towards holding persons responsible for failing to overcome those challenges? That is the primary job of the School Superintendent: identify short-comings and overcome them. (Real simple, when you think about it, isn’t it?)
We are about to elect a new School Superintendent for a four year term. If the elected person tries, and I mean really tries, and fails, then that’s too bad. If the elected person fails, and then asks for another four years, then THAT is scandalous and such prospects should not even be considered.
I’m not certain yet as for whom I will cast my ballot, but my dream Superintendent would do the following:
On day one, the Superintendent will re-locate his/her office desk to the hallways of the Central School and the High School. Principals, Assistant Principals, Guidance Staff, all Coaches, Resource Officers and Librarians will also move their office desks to the hallways of these schools. There is an over-whelming consensus within the community that there is a lack of discipline in these schools. A lack of discipline is most often the result of poor supervision. Moving staff to the hallways will serve notice to students that a certain level of discipline and decorum is expected and will be maintained. Staff can have their offices back when discipline is no longer a problem.
Students who cause problems will be sent home. They will be allowed back with their parents/guardians. Parents/guardians must attend a full day of school with a student who is sent home because of a discipline problem. If it happens again: three days of co-education. The Superintendent will make it clear that the School System is not there to raise kids. It’s there to educate kids. My perfect School Superintendent would not try to do both.
After the perception, (whether it is real or imagined), that there is poor discipline in the schools is corrected, THEN other problems can be addressed. No problems can be fixed until this perception is removed.
My Superintendent would expect a lot. His/her goals would be quite high. And he/she would be very serious about fixing problems quickly……because he/she only gets one chance with me.
But, apparently, you might just be tickled pink if he/she comes up with a grant. You and I will, most likely, not vote for the same candidate, Mr. C. That’s too bad. My not-yet-selected candidate could use your vote.
The sad thing is…..mental health is important, too.
There a several excellent candidates seeking to become Superintendent. Demographics will always be a factor. Familty support for education is essential.
In my post I compared Lou Miller to near-by school systems.
“The good is oft interned” could summarize the comments by kottypine and jj.
Perhaps what Madison needs is to hire a professional with a strong record and hold her/her accountable for results. Maybe now is the time to consider having an appointed rather than an elected superintendent.
To frank rathburn. Jigger it any way you can we as peasents. Are screwd……..unless someone. takes the blame and we all move on……..
Heck, John, I thouhgt I toned it down pretty good. At first, I was going to have eddie win a dinner with the President and First Lady at George Clooneys house for the price of a $3 raffle ticket, eddie would drink some gin and dance. The president, thinking it was a tribal dance from his paternal great grandfather, was impressed and thats how eddie came to go to Africa with 2billion in stimulus money to teach banjo and start an orchestra. Then I got thinking, heck, you don’t even have to climb the fence…you can waltz acrosss now that Border Patrol has been instructed to run and hide in the event of illegal confrontation. See? I didn’t even mention anything like that.
Well please inform the community on how to fix the problems. Better yet please tell the community what the problem is. Let me guess your going to keep blaming everyone in the school system from the top to the bottom. You expect teachers to raise kids, etc. etc etc.
What you few folks need to do is go to the school board and see if you can sit in on a class in the school system and then make an informed call.
It’s just the typical, if you put your head above the crowd your subject to be shot.
Morpheus: The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you’re inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.
Mr. Catron , those districts you mention sure are glowing examples of academic prowess , you are comfortable with things near the bottom . No , we do not want to meet with you either . I agree with Eddie for a change , no record of academic success with that appointment , give someone younger an opportunity . In this county in all spheres it is always the same people or families represented & look where we are at .
@Mr Catron:
It’s fortunate for Florida that the other 66 counties in the state have no “demographics” to deal with, isn’t it? (It’s our crutch and we’re going to stick with it, eh?)
come on catron hire a retiree for another job. madison does not need to be run by retirees.we as a county will never improve until certain generations move on. look at the demographics.i thought she was going to spend more time with her family as she stated. she will retire and now take up another job to help the economy??? we need to crack some skulls as they say. get some people in positions to get some improvement all around. madison is slowed by social politics
Ditto Mike Argenbright’s assessment. An elected school superintendent is in a difficult position:
must answer to the voters and must provide leadership for the elected school board. It is easy to forget the dynamics of the position. Miller has been a good Superintendent – in my opinion (based upon serving on college accreditation teams and direct contact with the school districts of Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor Counties when I assisted with dual enrollment implementation from 1997-2003). No one seeks to become the Superintendent of Schools with their eyes shut. Demographics pose challenges. We have many outstanding graduates who came from dire circumstances. Mentors help. Teachers can make a difference.
@Mike:
She sure has worked wonders with the school system.
Any organization that is blessed with Lou Millers help with benefit greatly.