2023 Marks the beginning of Superintendent Melody Sheppard's third year at the helm of Shenandoah County Public Schools. Her tenure has seen much change in the county's views and attention towards education. Covid-19 shutdowns, mask mandates, new school board members, a large turnover in senior administration and principals, poor Standard of Learning test scores, the lingering effects of the name changes on the Southern Campus, public and employee dissension over library book related policies, and community outcry over disciplinary issues within the County Schools are just some of the hurdles Dr. Sheppard has had to face. Through it all, Sheppard has continued to push forward, keeping the public apprised through her school board presentations and open door availability to the citizens and parents of Shenandoah County.
I had some time to sit with Dr. Sheppard and discuss her plans and goals for this school year. When asked about how things were going thus far this year, she said; “We had a great start to our 2023-24 school year thanks to the hard work of our students, the dedication of our staff, and the support of our parents and school community.” This coincides with what many in the schools are reporting as well, as students and teachers alike seem to echo the idea that things are off to a good start in 2023-24. Last year we wrote an article about Sheppard’s plans for 2022-23 and that those plans would focus on improving education and curriculum development along with improving communication between SCPS and parents. In regards to improving the communication, Dr. Sheppard has maintained a parents advisory committee that has been meeting monthly and discussing important topics like attendance, bullying, and school discipline. In regards to instructional improvement, there has been some steady improvement. In 2018, (Under Mark Johnston’s Administration) SCPS had fallen to the rank of 110th out of the 132 public school divisions in Virginia. In 2022 SCPS had risen to 85th. In 2023, Shenandoah County has risen to 74th in the Commonwealth. Dr Sheppard mentioned that “This school year, we are continuing to focus on instruction. We have made some gains, but we still have a lot of work to do. “
School attendance has also suffered nationwide after the Covid-19 shutdowns. An issue that SCPS has most definitely been impacted by. Dr. Sheppard has met that head on this year. She stated ; “We are also focusing on attendance this year. School attendance is essential to academic success. Chronic absenteeism (when a student misses 10% or more of the school year, or around 18 school days) is an issue across the state. Our August and September attendance rates both increased over last year. Our staff and administrators are working hard to encourage attendance. We would also like to thank our parents for making their students’ attendance a priority this year”.
There is no doubt that Superintendent Sheppard is proud of the achievements and accomplishments of staff and students in the Shenandoah County Public Schools. Seeing her bright smile at a school board meeting when they are acknowledged proves this point. Her statement about the achievements this year was;”Our students have already had great success this year. At the Rockingham County Fair, our Triplett Tech students competed in the Construction Trades Skills Competition, bringing home first place wins in each area. Our sports seasons and marching band seasons are in full swing, and our music programs are gearing up for their fall concerts. We encourage the community to attend these events to support our students and staff.”
As mentioned, Dr. Sheppard also is quite focused on the relationship between the community and the school division. It’s something that was lacking here for a while at least, but it looks like that also is something that is improving. The aforementioned parents committee is just part of it, increased PTO activities and community participation in school activities are also occurring. Dr Sheppard expressed the following in regards to her appreciation for the community involvement with SCPS; “Thank you to everyone who has helped make the start of our school year a success. We appreciate the continued partnership of our parents and school community. Together, we can ensure that our students experience a positive learning environment and reach their full potential.”
Through all the ups and downs of leading our school division onto further success, Dr. Sheppard remains focused, communicative, and positive. There seems to be steady improvement in most areas of SCPS, and our community will continue to grow better and better if Dr. Sheppard’s leadership continues to improve our schools to further meet the students of l Shenandoah Countys needs.
By Lewis Michael
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