ARLINGTON, Texas — The new Arlington ISD superintendent, Dr. Matt Smith, is just days away from his first day on the job after a superintendent search that took a year.
"The board called me and offered me the position I obviously eagerly accepted," Smith said.
Smith comes to Arlington ISD from Belton ISD outside Temple. He says his priorities include improving student test scores. Arlington ISD is in the bottom 50% in the state.
On average, only 24% of Arlington students are at or above proficient in Math and 34% in reading, according to education studies. It's a challenge Smith says he accepts.
"We have to listen (to) our teachers and make sure our teachers are heard about the resources and support they need," said Smith.
Watch our full interview with Dr. Matt Smith here:
Arlington ISD serves almost 57,000 students. The Texas Department of Education reports that 83% are students of color. That has the attention of Arlington NAACP President Kennedy Jones. Jones says his organization wants the voices of those parents heard.
Jones believes the new district leadership provides a great time to improve the opportunities for people of color and minority-owned businesses hoping to do business with the district. Jones says he wants more doors opened regarding contracts and subcontractors working with Arlington ISD.
"I think his biggest challenge is going to be engaging, properly engaging the minority community," said Jones, "There's a lot that can be done in a strategic partnership with the NAACP. We've been around for a long time. We have worked on these issues. We've been concerned. We brought it to the table in the previous administration. There was a lot of lip service, but unfortunately, when it came to actually implementing policy changes, we didn't really see that."
Dr. Smith plans to meet with Jones next month, along with others. Student success is also something Jones wants to be a part of their conversation.
"I think one of the things I want to discuss is making an impact on student scores," said Jones.
Just like Dr. Smith, Jones believes their conversation will help get more students prepared for their next step.
Dr. Smith says he already has a proven track record of getting students ready for college, career and military futures. It's something Smith says he can do in Arlington with the right support.
"Our parents are the number one support that we have for students and their learning experience," said Smith.
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