Dr. Marvin Jones brings 33-years of education experience to his new role as Essex Superintendent of Public Schools.
Dr. Marvin Jones has been busy acquainting himself with Essex County and its three school campuses during his first two weeks on the job.
Jones was appointed superintendent of Essex Public Schools in June and began his duties here on July 1.
“The smaller divisions have appealed to me as I’ve advanced my career,” Jones remarked about his trek south. “There’s something about small towns where you feel like family and look out for each other. I’m from a place very similar and I always look to pull the best out of people while pouring my best into them. This is a beautiful area and I feel this is an opportunity to do great things here. I feel we can strengthen our pathways to excellence.”
Jones grew up in Princess Anne on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
“It is a small town and was a great place to grow up,” he remarked.
His credentials include a Bachelor’s degree in special education from University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, a Master’s degree in School Administration and Supervision from Bowie State University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Delaware State University.
Jones told the Rappahannock Times he became interested in the special education field while growing up with a cousin who experienced challenges with reading.
“We were probably about 10 years old when I came to know he could not read,” Jones reflected. “He wasn’t receptive to the adults in school. But, when I tried to help him with reading he responded. While I couldn’t teach him exactly what he needed, he did show an interest when I helped him. That’s what sparked my interest and trajectory towards education, and especially with kids who struggle.”
Jones began his career as a special education teacher in Prince George’s County, Maryland and later became a vice principal in Charles County, Maryland.
He later became a school building principal for seven years before being elevated to executive director of schools.
Jones arrived here earlier this month after serving as chief of schools for Charles County Public Schools in which he oversaw the programs at 43 schools.
“I’ve had a lot of great experiences along the way,” says the 55-year-old Jones. “I’ve gone from a small town to larger ones and I’m experiencing the same thing here. I feel I’ve been able to relate to and work with people from all walks of life. I’ve tried to help people, no matter what the issue is.”
Jones says while anticipating the new school year, which starts August 11, he has been busy building relationships with school division employees was he gets to know the public here.
“I’m interested in finding out what interests our (parents/ guardians) have and how it relates to what we can do for their children,” Jones said. “My charge right now has been to build relationships and let people know I am committed.”
In the short-term, Jones says he was to impress upon the community his devotion to his job.
“I want the public to see that we are all committed to moving the needle for the children,” he said. “It’s all about getting the children prepared for the next level.”
Teacher vacancies, financial resources and enrollment are issues the school division is addressing, Jones says.
“We have to find new ways to attract people,” he stated. “We need something to catch the eye of someone who is looking for a job here. Once we get them, we have to take care of them so we can retain them.”
Jones says the potential is there for growing the school’s population which has been in decline in recent years.
“We’ve got to rebrand without any sort of discredit to the past,” he said. “I think it’s time we rebrand and get our voice out there. We want people to know this is a good place to educate their children. We also have to find out why families have left and what we can do to bring them back. I want to be sure our staff is bold enough to speak positively about us in the public. Accentuating the positive will be a big factor in getting our message out there.”
Regarding funding, Jones says transparency is a major factor in securing necessary monies for the school system.
“One good thing about the restructuring of our financial department with the county’s financial department is that it gives us an opportunity for transparency that perhaps hasn’t existed before,” he said. “That will give opportunities for us to be really clear about why we are asking for certain funds. The advocacy we will be doing through our office will be important. The way you approach the conversation sometimes makes a difference. Relationships and communication will be huge in how this all works out.”
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