‘PASSION AND HARD WORK’

By GARY LLOYD

Aconversation with Superintendent Patrick Martin about the new school year in Trussville had to include an obvious place. His Twitter profile. Yes, really. Was it something about the UAB women’s basketball team, where the new superintendent’s wife is an assistant coach? Tempting, but no. A tweet about a new instructional strategy working well across United States secondary schools? Pertinent, but not quite. A tweet about his allegiance to the St. Louis Cardinals? Again, no — although Atlanta Braves fans across this area are sure to now let Patrick Martin know that the infield fly rule should not have been cited in the eighth inning of the 2012 National League Wild Card Game.

The draw to Martin’s Twitter profile, quite simply, was his biography itself. Martin could put a lot in those 160 allotted characters, but he called himself a “proud husband and father” and “school administrator.” The next 10 words stood out: “The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.”

Those words, written by Ernest Hemingway in “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” begged explanation. Martin, the former Vestavia Hills City Schools assistant superintendent of operations and services, talked about growing up loving sports, a coach’s son who spent time in gymnasiums from the time he could roll a basketball. He talked about his love of a speech by former North Carolina State head basketball coach Jimmy Valvano at the 1993 ESPY Awards. But Hemingway’s words’ direct meaning to him?

“I love that every morning, we wake up, and we can really determine how we’re going to view the day,” Martin said. “You know, I go back. I was thinking about that this morning in preparation for this. I love when Jimmy Valvano in his speech says, ‘You think about three things you can do every day: if you laugh, you think and you cry.’”

That’s a full day, Valvano went on to say in 1993.

“But when I think of that quote, we have an opportunity every morning when our feet hit the ground to determine how we're going to look at that day,” Martin said. “I'll tell you what, I've been blessed. I have been blessed entering my 24th year in education. I can't think of one time in education — coach, teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent — where I've not walked into the building, just smiling, just excited. I mean, I'm in the best — and no offense to other professions — I am in the best profession that I can possibly think of. That’s why. That’s the genesis of that quote.”

Martin coached basketball for a few years in Illinois. His passion wasn’t there for coaching.

“I love the classroom,” he said. “I loved administration. I saw that in my future. That’s why I needed to step away and give someone that position that was passionate, that would eat, breathe, drink, sleep basketball.”

Martin’s father coached basketball in Indiana, so he well understands the building blocks, the 11:30 p.m. trips to the Hardee’s parking lot to exchange game film with other coaches. Building a program is what he’s doing now in his new role with Trussville City Schools, just not on the basketball court.

“I know what goes into that to make a successful program,” Martin said. “The No. 1 thing is passion and hard work.”

The summer provided plenty of the latter. Participating in the class of 2023’s graduation was a highlight for Martin. Administrative retreats. Board of Education meetings. Goal lists. Data reviews. The most important thing, Martin said, is building relationships.

“I think where leaders get into trouble is when they come in, and they're trying to fit the system to meet their personality style,” he said. “And really, what you're doing is you're coming in building relationships, meeting people, seeing what their vision is for not just the school system, but the community, and then you start to match up: ‘Here's some things that I know about leadership that can help.’ But really, what you're doing is you've stepped into a vehicle, which is Trussville and Trussville City Schools, and now you're driving it to a destination that that community wants to go to.”

By the first week of August, plans are being implemented and kids are returning to classrooms.

“I love this time of year [summer] because what I know right now is that teachers and students are home recharging, enjoying summer,” Martin said. “I think about a third grade kid right now in Trussville, who they woke up this morning and their whole day is just probably more packed than when they're in school. They're going to the pool, they're going to go play pickup basketball, they're going to go see grandma. I mean, I love thinking about that kid who is doing exactly what they need to do to recharge, so they've got the energy and they're ready to go in August for school.”

Those summer tasks start with a “30,000-foot view,” are brought to the “boots on the ground” and then are discussed from there.

“That’s really where the magic happens,” Martin said. “Because what you don't want to do is bring a bunch of teachers into the classroom, during that 2 o’clock hour, and start having a conversation, and they walk away thinking, ‘You know, that was a complete waste of time. I got absolutely nothing out of that.’ And so really, what you're trying to do is make sure that those are good conversations, where they're reviewing data, they're changing practices, they're looking at instructional strategy, they're looking at pedagogy, they're looking at all those different things and making tweaks, making enhancements to improve student learning.”

The first week of school, and in the months that follow, Martin plans to be out in the schools, he said.

“If you sit in your office all day long, you’re not getting a real viewpoint of what’s happening in the schools,” he said. “I’m watching the practice take place.”

Martin hopes to be seen as a superintendent in the trenches with the rest of the school system’s staff, supporting them and bettering student learning. He also hopes it allows him to be a sounding board for teachers, he said.

To put a bow on his first summer leading Trussville City Schools, Martin mentioned numerous friends with ties to Trussville, all of whom talked about the pride the city has in its schools.

“I’ve heard from several folks, not just in my building, but around town that Trussville just sort of gets in you,” Martin said. “And when you come here, you don't leave.”