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It’s been more than four years since the Beaufort County School Board elected Superintendent Frank Rodriguez to his position. Since then, he has dealt with the effects of the pandemic, demanding situations such as books, school safety, and his two children that dazzled him at the concept of being invited to participate in Governor Henry McMaster’s Cybersecurity Task Force initiative.
“My kids are having a great time because they’re like, ‘Hey, why are you being asked?'” she said.
Rodriguez can reply, “But, of course, every time something comes into the house, I just ask the question, ‘Are you on the governor’s task force?I don’t think that’s the case.
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette sat down with Rodriguez to talk about what’s happening in Beaufort County schools this year and get more information on how he’s addressing demanding situations and the district’s successes. Rodriguez, a Bluffton resident, spent 26 years at the school. in South Florida before moving to the Hilton Head area. He is a social studies teacher, which since history is his favorite school subject. In Palm Beach County Schools, he has worked as an elementary and middle school principal, assistant superintendent, and regional superintendent. among other roles.
Rodriguez’s contract runs through 2028 and his annual salary is $251,254.
And while it’s “hard to talk about yourself,” Rodriguez also shared some fun facts, such as how he met his wife at the best school in Florida, where they grew up and have been married for about 30 years.
This interview has been edited for brevity.
The investment of emergency relief for elementary and secondary schools (federal money given to schools to deal with educational problems caused by the pandemic) is coming to an end, so this year we need to identify projects that have been particularly helpful and have really seemed to show some progress or help for the formula and students. We need to identify them because they are the ones we would like to find a way to follow.
What is now very vital is our continued willingness to help our students’ educational progress and our initiatives. Clearly, the pandemic has had a significant effect on students and their learning. Therefore, we have noticed some progress and we must continue with this educational process. recovery.
We’re actually talking about network participation. There’s a lot going on in schools, and it’s really not just about schools. It’s not just about school solutions. A lot of it has to do with the network and the interaction in those solutions. And in order to continue to engage with our network around the school district’s wishes, we want to see how we can leverage much of the expertise that might exist. that other people may have an interest in interacting with us and helping our students.
Honestly, I have to talk about the effect of a pandemic. There was no idea on how to handle and overcome a pandemic. It’s not something that other people went to school and learned to do, but you’re there. And it lands on your plate and you have to figure it out. The challenge of facing the pandemic knowing that it is a polarizing issue.
I think knowing that any decision you make, that you’re trying to make in the best interests of children, can disappoint some people, and yet moving forward to check it out and figure it out has been incredibly difficult. . But we can’t help it, because the unfortunate thing about the pandemic is that it has lasting effects. The consequences of the pandemic, whether they are intellectual aptitude problems among academics, the effect of social media on academics and their behaviors, or their effect on educational performance. These are all demanding situations that we have faced and will face for the foreseeable future.
One of the things you’re going to do is pay attention to other people’s reviews on other topics. We’re paying attention. That doesn’t mean you and I have to have a verbal exchange for us to pay attention. I mean, other people can speak up at board meetings and say what they think about whether or not we deserve to be in school or that kind of thing. . We’re paying attention.
You’re looking to take advantage of the most productive practices from past pandemic-like conditions, but you’re looking to take advantage of the tools, skills, and wisdom that you and your team have.
I like to present a challenge to my team and approach it from all angles, trying to land in the most productive position imaginable with the most productive solutions imaginable. Look at what’s happening in other parts of the country and what concepts exist. in other parts of the county, check in and connect with other superintendents in the state of South Carolina and other states to see how they navigate things as well. And you’re just going through to get as many comments as you can and paintings about it and check We imagine it to get to the most productive place imaginable, but we always start, you know, thinking about what’s the most productive thing for kids.
First, despite the pandemic, our effects in language arts have advanced significantly. We’ve surpassed our pre-pandemic levels, even more. We achieved our highest score on this statewide assessment since its inception in 2016. It’s not enough until we get to 100%, but that doesn’t mean there’s no progress, and we shouldn’t celebrate the progress we’ve seen.
Another thing I’m especially proud of is that our educators’ pay has increased from 53rd in the state two years ago to number one in the state for two years in a row. This is vital to us because participating in school recovery requires skill and skill. Our teachers play a critical role in making a difference in student outcomes and helping them reach their full potential. And so I’m proud that, as a system, we’ve prioritized that. And I advanced the payment, from a starting salary of $37,000 to a starting salary of $50,000.
I think the other thing I’m proud of is that when I came here in 2019, the school district held a referendum on bonds. And I’m particularly proud of how we controlled and executed this bond referendum despite a pandemic. despite all the demanding situations that come with it or come with it.
One of the things that I think is important about the ebook process is that we follow the design state process to cope with the demanding conditions of the book. We follow that process. We’ve been consistent on this. It was my resolve to do this and it was because our formula needed to be able to focus academically on the youth we were serving in the classroom. And the one that we give them through that, and that’s essentially That’s why we went into this procedure to solve the challenge that existed and we tried to solve it. So we use a state-style procedure to do this.
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I believe that we will stick to the procedure that the State would have provided. If the state adjusts the procedure, we will have to take a look at it and reposition it. But if this procedure is still the correct procedure, then that’s what we would use.
I think if in the long run there are mass demand situations like this, there will have to be a finished form for each specific book. There is a challenge. There is a procedure for this. And members of the network can challenge those books, but they have to go through this procedure to get there. And that’s pretty much what I think I’d say.
This is not a one-size-fits-all form for books. It’s a way that’s consistent with a book.
The county repealed the option to take effect on the payment, and then municipalities did not approve it. So, the option to have effect on the payment disappeared, so it’s not really an option for us right now.
The current thing is the 8-cent funds, which are the dollars we have to use for system maintenance and facility painting. So, if you’re going to face some expansion, you may be able to buy a Choose a cell phone, for example, and charge cell phones at a specific location or at a specific site. But if you do that, you may not have that cash for the maintenance of other facilities.
Why the kids in this new Bluffton progression probably wouldn’t move on to the school across the street
And then the third way is through referendums on bonds. Therefore, the November 2023 bond referendum has unused schools on the allocation list, notably Bluffton Elementary School. That’s why we ran on the Project Review Committee comprised of citizens from across Beaufort County. and identify wishes and assignments for the assignment list. Put it in the November 2023 bond referendum.
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If a school is lately at capacity, we have to say that the school is lately at capacity or so it seems. And then, of course, if it passes and goes ahead, we have to find out. The maximum notice option for a school district is to add cellular devices. If there are opportunities for rezoning, this is an option. But sometimes, in the Bluffton area, rezoning opportunities don’t actually solve the problem. In the short term, the main option to be that we have is to cell phones or adding cell phones to school.
We are still in the process of doing so. We’re on what we think are projects that seem to have been helpful to students, projects that were mandatory and that seem to be helpful to our employees, and we’re trying to use that kind of thinking about what we’d like to check. to continue. And tutoring and student support. This is a vital element.
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I think it’s also about engaging with netpaintings to help us navigate the demanding back-to-school situations. Use most of the expertise of our netpaintings in terms of mentoring and mentoring opportunities for academics. That’s helpful. You know, there are students from the best schools who have moved on to elementary schools and have organized teams of students, peers, to help guide the younger students, to come to school early and work with the students before they move on to their best school. own classes. We’ve seen a little bit, so we need to take advantage of everything we can to contribute to that growth.
In the realm of literacy, we must continue the expansion we are seeing, however, math is what has had the greatest effect during the pandemic across the country. And so one of the things that I’ve done this year is we’ve added a math coordinator to help our schools, with math programs, for example, and student help. We’re working to make an impact on that.
Beaufort schools have gone virtual during the pandemic. Some scholars never returned in person.
We are very attentive to this. We have Student Resource Managers at all of our middle and high schools. We have armed security guards in our number one schools. And we started the procedure this summer, in collaboration with our local law enforcement partners, to necessarily introduce more SROs in number one schools. schools as well.
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We have provided a lot of education to staff on crisis management initiatives. And I think that’s a vital element. As a school district, we have a field matrix in position and district policies that we adhere to, and then we work with law enforcement. because rarely would anything require referrals to the authorities. Law enforcement is provided in all of our schools. I think the other thing we want is this partnership of netpaintings participation in this issue. Most of the disorders we face are not manufactured here at school. These are things that come from social media, things that happen on the weekends, things that happen and happen at school and happen in a school setting.
There are systems and partnerships with law enforcement that provide alerts about statements on social media and that sort of thing that are similar to communities, and that data can then be relayed to school staff. You know, it can be whatever we’re notifying us at nine o’clock at night, and then we can be on the phone until midnight, or whatever, to work things out. There are alerts we can get about those things. I’ll be fair to you, Array. Very often, students come to us in advance. You know, parents report things they see or hear to us just by talking to their kids. This commitment is very vital at home, as it helps us maintain safe environments in our schools.
One of the things that has also been noticed across the country as a result of the pandemic is an increase in aggression by some students. You approach that in other ways, when you have the field matrix, the policies that the district implements and you do a lot of work with the authorities because those are not things that need to be implemented in your schools, schools are places of learning.
We constantly help students and parents in their fight against anti-bullying behavior. These are things that schools deal with all the time. There are district projects to remember and help schools face these challenges, combating them in schools. We work a lot with law enforcement, and if it’s an assault case or that type of thing, it’s handled through law enforcement. And in addition to dealing with law enforcement, they are also dealt with from the point of view of the school environment. But again, those are things you want and you want help from netpaintings. We don’t invent the challenge at school, but we address the challenge that arises, so parent involvement is really helpful. When we see it, it’s wonderful and it’s a lovely thing, and it’s just tuning in to see and perceive and hear what your child is facing. And then sharing that with the school is a vital way for schools to try to stay ahead of challenges like that, but it’s a component of the whole network that we really want.
I think one of the things I would say is that your Beaufort County school district supports all of the students that we serve. We have established rigorous, top-notch educational programs such as the International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Programs, AP Capstone Programs, as well as Advanced Placement Courses and Dual Enrollment Courses with our post-secondary education partners that meet and satisfy the desires of our top scholars. Graduate-level college scholars who are in a post-secondary education system. So, we have those elements at play that nurture them, amplify them, and help them reach their full potential.
We also have technical and vocational education systems that meet those desires. For example, in May River, we have a wonderful and highly sought-after welding program and there is a waiting list of those who are dying to get into that program.
We provide our students who might be struggling, and you can see from the report card grades that there has been an evolution from schools that were on the lower end of the grading system. There are opportunities for all the students we serve and need. be your most productive option.
I think our network knows that I love betting on football. We’ve made several videos and gone on to play with the best school groups over the years. I don’t play as much anymore, you know, but I get an invitation to go to a practice and I have to rearrange my schedule and make sure that happens, because I never have the ability to pass as much as I can. And that’s all I love to do.
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