Student Achievements On Mind Of New QISD Leader

New Quinlan ISD Superintendent Michael French does not meander about his main goal for the district’s future.

"It is academic achievement. I want to get our students to the next level and then get to the one beyond that," he said.

French took over as superintendent July 1, replacing Larry Johnson, who retired from the position but is staying on through the end of 2008 as a district consultant.

Monday, French talked about his five years as superintendent of Scurry-Rosser ISD and what he sees ahead for Quinlan ISD.

"I left a lot of friends, a lot of good people," French said about Scurry-Rosser, a district of about 1,000 students in Kaufman County. "I was able to do a lot of good things while I was there, and took the campuses from low to high academic achievement."

French said he had opportunities to go to large school districts, but Quinlan ISD was the right fit.

"I know several members of the school board and what they represent. I know what the community is about and I want to take the schools further and to build on that excellence," he said.

"I believe being a superintendent is the calling for me. I did a lot of praying and soul searching about this decision. For me, it is all about the challenge and being able to reach more kids," French added.

To that end, French said he wants to expand the vocational programs offered in the district, which has already added an agricultural science teacher and is looking for another to specialize in ag mechanics.

"We have to live in the real world. Not every graduate from our district plans to or even desires to go to a four-year college," he said.

French said the same situation was present at Scurry-Rosser, where industrial technology and business classes were added.

"You have to have the resources and that is a matter of putting money where the priorities are," he said. "What you find is the students in these programs get connected with these (vocational) teachers quickly. They stay interested, start achieving and don’t drop out of school."

French said he recognizes the challenge of expanding programs and adding teachers in light of the current economic struggle, but added, "I will be one of the last holdouts on rollback elections."

He also said he wanted "to be a servant, not a stumbling block" for teachers in Quinlan ISD.

"I still believe in the power of teachers. It is a tremendous responsibility and how they wield that power can change a student’s life," French said.

French said he is active in church and enjoys reading.

"I’m an avid sports fan as well," he said, also remarking that he wants to help the district achieve success in extracurricular programs.

He and his wife, Kim, have been married for 13 years. They have two sons, Johnathan, who is currently in the Dallas Police Academy, and Joshua, who is about to begin studies at Trinity Valley Community College’s campus in Terrell.