New Trigg County Superintendent Rex Booth has 15 years of experience in education. Submitted photo
Rex Booth has been a math teacher, a school counselor, a principal, a basketball coach and now superintendent of Trigg County, an opportunity he said will allow him to share his skill set and 15 years of education experience.
“I’ve kind of got a little bit of everything going on there,” said Booth. “I moved to Western Kentucky for a couple of coaching opportunities, and I coached in Trigg County a few years back.”
Booth said that it has been nice to see familiar faces and return to lead a school district where he has taught, coached and been a part of the community before.
“During the interview process, it did not feel like an interview,” he explained. “It felt like a conversation with people that I had known for a while and having that connection and this positive relationship from the beginning automatically let me know, this is where I want to be.”
Booth said in his message to the district that above all else, culture will be the foundation of everything they do. As superintendent, he shared his three commitments to the district:
- I will be dedicated to transparency and consistent communication in a variety of ways so you, the community, will be aware and take #WildcatPride in all the great things happening within Trigg County each day;
- I will not only be visible, but I will be present. You will regularly see me actively participating in school and community events with my #WildcatPride on full display;
- I will be intentional in ensuring all our schools are secure and safe so that kids and employees alike can focus on learning, growing, developing and displaying their own #WildcatPride.
In his message, he also shared his vision of “a culture where every Wildcat feels supported to chase their dreams because they know without a shadow of a doubt, they have the support and backing of our entire (Trigg County) community to be whoever they desire to be when they successfully walk across the graduation stage and move on to the next chapter of their lives.”
Booth said he plans to take the first few weeks to get to know his administrators, educators, staff, students and families. He believes those relationships are what build a positive environment for education.
“That is one of the things that I truly believe in, building those strong and genuine relationships,” he said. “Trying to build a positive culture and getting to know people throughout that journey is going to be important to me.”
This time has not only been a transition for Booth, but it has also been a transition for his family. He has enrolled his three children into the Trigg County school system.
“Everyone has been so welcoming, inviting and helpful to not only me but to my entire family,” he said. “My family and I believe that if you’re servicing a school district, especially in a leadership role, then we strongly believe that you live in that school district and that community.”
Booth said he hopes to be inside the schools as much as he can in this new role; not just walking around the building and hallways but to be inside the classroom, learning and getting to know his students.
“I am a kids-first leader, and I still plan to be in the schools every day,” he said. “I also love leadership; I am currently studying leadership with my dissertation, but I want to help transition that next generation.”
Advocating for his students, but also advocating for his profession. He said he hopes to encourage students along the way to see the significance of their educators and being involved in education.
“My daughter is going to be in 6th grade, and she still wants to be a teacher,” said Booth. “You know one of the things that I’ve said to a lot of people is let’s quit talking people out of wanting to be teachers. Instead, we’ve got to fight for our teachers and make sure this is a career that people want to pursue.”
Leave A Comment