Manatee County Schools superintendent Jason Wysong, who has completed his first year on the job, said he is most proud of the time he spent on each school campus.
“We spend a lot of time in meetings here in this office, but the action is in the schools,” Wysong told the Bradenton Herald. “That was a goal of mine was to spend as much time as possible not in this building, but out in the trenches with our teachers and our principals.”
Wysong is known as an approachable superintendent, School Board administrators say. As he receives high marks in his first year on the job, Wysong aims to help students get back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the education system.
At a June 25 meeting, the Manatee County School Board approved his performance evaluation, which shows an average of each member’s ratings. Wysong earned an overall 4.2 out of 5 score on his evaluation, according to school district documents.
“This has really been a tremendous first year,” School Board member Gina Messenger said. “I really want to thank you for your thoughtful leadership and your strong commitment to student achievement. I really believe that you are an asset to our school district and our community.”
School Board member Mary Foreman, who praised Wysong for earning the respect and trust of teachers and staff, suggested that the board consider extending his contract at a future meeting.
“He’s got two years left and I think we need to tie him up while we can,” Foreman said.
Wysong added that his evaluation was a reflection of the principals and district department heads and the work they do.
As Wysong looks ahead to his second year on the job, his priorities are safety and security, early learning and high school graduation, and school construction and growth.
“All the research tells us that if by the end of third grade, you’re reading on grade level, then you’re much more likely to graduate high school nine years later. ” Wysong said. “We know that’s very important. We’re working to make sure that we’ve really got a plan for every student, especially students who fall behind in either credits or test scores. What’s their plan to get to graduation, so that they can move forward with their life, whether that’s college, a career or enlisting in the military.”
As the school district runs out of federal pandemic funds, students are still struggling with absenteeism and learning challenges, Wysong said.
“We continue to see in Manatee County, statewide and nationally a higher percentage of students who are chronically absent, meaning missing more than 10% of the school year,” Wysong said. “That’s still a problem and that work is very much student by student to determine why is the student missing school and what can we do to support them to get them back.”
Wysong is grateful to residents who supported the property tax increase to boost teacher salaries.
“As both a superintendent and a parent, I want our teachers to be able to live in our community and to be right alongside our students and families,” Wysong said. “So many of our employees have told me that’s a difference maker for them.”
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