UNcomon Sense by Superintendent Corey Holland

Hello Marlow Outlaws! It is great to be home. My official start date as Superintendent of Marlow Public Schools is July 1. Over the next couple of weeks, I will continue the process of moving into this new position. Mr. Coffman, the School Board, and the staff have been working very hard to get me up to speed on the upcoming school year and the bond project. It is our collective desire to make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved. Our school has been extremely fortunate over the years to have such quality leadership in the Superintendent, School Board, Administration, Teachers, and Staff positions. Let there be no doubt, the key to the success of our district has, and always will be, due to our people. We have an excellent staff at Marlow, and I am very grateful for their efforts.

I know change is often scary for many, but change is also inevitable. How we collectively decide to move forward will ultimately determine our ability to be successful. Marlow Schools didn't get to where we are by accident. It took vision, effort, and a commitment of putting student's needs first. Mr. Coffman is to be commended for how he has led the district over the last 20 years. There is no doubt he is leaving the school in a much better place than he found it. And that sums up, in a very real way, what it means to be an Outlaw.

In order to continue our forward trajectory, we must share a common focus. To that end, our motto for the new school year will be RISE: Relationships Intentionally Seeking Excellence. All of us are better together than we are on our own. Building strong, healthy relationships is key. For staff-community, developing relationships are how we learn to understand each other and find common ground to work together. For staff-staff, building relationships are how we support each other and best impact students. For staff-students, positive relationships are how we let every student know they are valuable and have the potential to excel.

Relationships intentionally seeking excellence will not occur on accident. It must be built on a foundation of important principles shared by all stakeholders. Common sense principles we have had from our beginning like hard work, integrity, high expectations, accountability, and positive encouragement. There are no short-cuts to success. There is nothing of value worth attaining which does not require at least some struggle to achieve. These are the foundational elements we must continue to build on into the future. While many in society expect to just be given something for nothing, Outlaws are willing to pay the price to earn success. That makes us very uncommon and makes me extremely proud.