LINDEN – City schools Superintendent Dr. Tyrone Smith is a little over halfway through his first semester in the system. Just beyond his first mile marker as head of Linden City Schools, Smith is confident in the direction of the system.

He will work to outline some his vision and some of his objectives to parents in attendance at Nov. 16 involvement meeting.

“We have to expose our parents to what it is we are trying to do,” Smith said of the focus of the meeting. That systemwide meeting, which will open registration at 5:30 p.m. at George P. Austin, will seek to detail for LCS parents the programs and initiatives Smith and the board of education will work to implement in an effort to keep Linden schools moving forward.

“We want our children to be able to compete when they leave Linden,” Smith said.

In view of that philosophy, Smith has proposed the implementation of financial literacy curriculum at Linden High School. Add-itionally, the system is in the process of launching its involvement in the A+ College Ready Program, a division of the A+ Educational Partnership. The program, which has already found great success in Texas, seeks to increase the number of students passing Advanced Placement tests at high-minority schools.

While the financial literacy classes and the national math and science initiative hold promise for Linden High School students, Smith indicated LCS students systemwide are benefitting from an increased use of technology in the classroom.

“(Two weeks ago) the state of Alaska came right into the fifth grade classrooms,” Smith said of an elementary school class that made use of videoconferencing technology to further its studies.

Smith stressed the involvement of the board of education members as well as the effectiveness of LHS principal Timothy Thurman and his staff as being key components to the success of the school system.

“In the state of Alabama, Mr. Thurman and his staff are affiliated with the only high school in the state that is a torchbearer high school,” Smith said.

Smith and other members of the school system will address all parents in attendance at the parental involvement meeting beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served and cost for the event is $1.

“A dollar of your time will make a difference in your child’s education.”