Superintendent's Message

I am honored and humbled that the board has chosen me to represent the Baker School System. I am in my 25th year as an educator and 17th year as a Superintendent. I have been at Baker for 2.5 years and have developed some priceless relationships with Principals, Teachers, Community Members, and Students. I can assure you that my team and I will give 100% of our efforts to moving the Baker School System Forward. God has given me a passion for serving students and families and this is a challenge He has prepared me for over my entire career.

 

This year we increased one letter grade from an F to a D. Our goal, with our next opportunity, is to do the same and increase to a C. Our academic growth was above the state average and was the fourth highest in the 12-district region and 28th out of 65 public school districts in the state. We consider this as the first step forward in making a run and we still have a lot to accomplish.

 

Baker High School also increased their letter grade from an F to a D. We are very proud of Dr. Russell and her team and the efforts that they are making to increase their academic performance.

 

We are now the number two district in the region for teacher pay moving up from 2nd to last. We are looking to partner with Southern University and LSU to bring in Education experts on our campuses and work with our teachers to improve their skill set and further their education.

 

We have removed the distraction of Cell phones this year in an effort to re-focus our students on the work to be done in the classroom. We have adopted stricter disciplinary measures to deter fighting and make Baker a safer learning space.

 

We are re-designing the entrances of Park Ridge and Baker High School to create Single Points of entry as an additional layer of security for your students. These should be completed before the end of the month.

 

Over the next few years, as we open the new high school, we are looking at partnering with community businesses and organizations to increase the number of Career and Technical Education classes. If our students choose not to go to College we want them prepared to immediately enter the workforce and be successful.

 

I am pursuing outside funding to remodel and create a flagship football stadium and track at the new Baker High School site. If you know of donors who would like to contribute I would love to talk with them.

 

Again, I am humbled that the Board and the community have placed their most valued possessions in our hands and I will respect, with great admiration, the trust you have placed in our team.

 

JT Strode