Board President Steve Wright said Dr. Marable was the best candidate out of the four interviewed because her personality will mesh well with the district, and because of her experience in a similar school district in Longview.
“She has a history in being a superintendent that’s very positive,” Wright said. “Longview is one of our peer cities which we do comparable analysis with, very similar in size. She has a good history there and left a lot of friends and good references.”
Board vice president Jerry Pickle said she was selected because of her attitude and more than 20 years of experience in education.
“We were all very pleased with her demeanor, her very positive attitude, and in general we liked her background,” Pickle said. “We felt that her background was a unique benefit to us. She had the experience (in a district similar to Temple) and left on her own terms and wants to get back into the business and we were quite happy to have her.”
The Longview school district, which Dr. Marable led from 2003 to 2006, is uncannily similar to Temple in both population and demographics. Just like Temple, and indeed all over the state, Longview struggled to bridge the achievement gap between sub-groups and just like Temple Longview is surrounded by other school districts that are growing, which means competition for students. Dr. Marable said it was these similarities that made Temple an appealing place to apply.
She said the number one thing that can be done first to keep students in Temple schools is to improve instruction to make them feel involved.
“I think the thing that can be done to keep students in school is to improve the instructional program and make students feel like they are part of it,” Dr. Marable said. “They have 70 percent participation in extracurricular activities. It’s not just what happens in the classroom, it’s what happens between classes too. It’s what we do for our students to make them want to learn, and I think Temple’s gone a long way into doing that.”
Pickle said he had no doubt Dr. Marable will fit in well with the staff and the community.
“That was one of the key reasons we chose Dr. Marable,” he said. “We really do think she will fit and be comfortable for the overwhelmingly largest part of our professional and administrative staff, the faculty and other staff. If the parents can come out and meet her that would be even better.”
Although Temple has struggled with a negative perception problem, Marable said during her time so far she has yet to see it.
“I wasn’t aware that that perception existed, but if it does exist the proof will be in the product we put out,” Dr. Marable said. “We need to continue to build on our programs, provide excellent instruction, provide opportunities to achieve at the highest level and go from there.”
Mayor Bill Jones III said after meeting Dr. Marable on Friday that he is ready to give his complete support.
“She seemed like a very nice lady and we wish her the best,” Jones said. “I offer the support from the city and myself and to help her get oriented to the community. I think that she has all the right experience we need for this district. Her focus is in the right place - the kids.”
Dr. Marable said her priority has been and always will be to put the students first.
“Public schools exist for the students that are here,” she said. “Everyone’s here to serve students, and I think we have to make all of our decisions on what’s best for our students. I can’t imagine the school board would hire someone who wouldn’t put students first.”
She said her discipline policy is fair, but expects appropriate behavior from students at all time.
She said she hasn’t been in the district long enough to get a good impression of the discipline situation in the district, but from what she has seen touring the campuses, the students looked orderly.
Dr. Marable left Longview after three years with the intention to retire.
The Longview News-Journal reported the board was divided but was also looking for change. Dr. Marable described the parting as amicable.
“They were doing what they thought was right in their hearts,” Dr. Marable said. “I could still be there but when you reach the point when you don’t have a unified board though, sometimes it’s better to go on. It was time for someone else to come into the district and do it. They’re recovering and doing well and I still pray for them every night and want them to do well.”
Dr. Marable described Temple’s financial situation as strong, but said it could do more.
“We always are looking for ways to save money and get more money to put towards instruction,” she said. “While the fund balance is healthy it’s not as healthy as I want it. The board has done a good job with that. The people who spend the money are the teachers and the staff and it speaks well of the community that they have held their spending in check and put their money where it needed to go to programs.”
She said she has seen the numbers and has noted Temple’s gaps in areas such as science, but said the instructional staff has things under control.
“The instructional staff has used the results of the test to write better curriculum, to improve instruction, to buy materials, and get everything in to improve those gaps. There’s no reason for them to be there (at any school), but all schools have them, and that doesn’t make it right, it makes it right for us to attack it and try to make it better.”
The board voted unanimously to accept Dr. Marable on Sept. 17.
Dr. Marable has taken over for Beto Gonzalez, who left this month for a position in Brownsville. She is expected to be in charge until the school board can conduct a search for a new superintendent in 2008.
nkchandler@temple-telegram.com
