SUPERINTENDENT
I am so very thankful to be a part of the Oakwood family. As I have quickly learned over the last few months, Oakwood is a special place that is full of wonderful, caring people that regularly go above and beyond to meet the needs of our students. I am truly blessed to serve such a great group of board members, teachers, administrators, staff members, and students.
Educating children is a unique challenge. It is a lot like parenting, but with 15 kids a day, each with their own problems and challenges. We have many new faculty members that have joined a great group of returning staff members and are excited about the year ahead. We have added programs, expanded other course offerings, and hired additional faculty in an effort to create the best environment for students to succeed. We have set goals and expectations for our students because we want what is best for them. We would like to see them maximize their potential.
Test scores, ratings, and other labels are all used to quantify the nature of the job we do, but they are not a summation of the work that goes on at school on a daily basis. Oakwood will focus on three main goals this school year. We are going to love your children. Yes, even the “ornery, I didn’t want to get up today, school is terrible” ones. Teaching is about building relationships and trust. The students will know that the staff at Oakwood ISD will invest in their education, and that we are going to love them and treat them as our own. We are also going to set high expectations. As a parent, I always wanted to see my child succeed, but sometimes there were many failures that led to that success. We are going to set the bar high and help the students rise to meet those goals. Finally, we are going to hold students accountable. Students are going to learn that it takes hard work to be successful, and that success is worth working for. As a teacher, I always used to tell my students “minimal effort results in minimal grades”. Students cannot expect to achieve great things without learning how to work for them and the value of putting forth that effort. We love and care for our students. We will push them to achieve, and hold them accountable for their efforts. This is the mission for Oakwood ISD this year.
I am looking forward to getting to know the students and helping them to achieve the great things I know they are capable of. If I can be of any help to you, please feel free to stop by the administrative office anytime.
In Service,
Russell Holden