An overflow crowd gathered Monday night at the Larry D. Striplin Performing Arts Center to welcome Selma City Schools Superintendent Don Jefferson to his permanent post.

When Jefferson approached the podium, he made it clear he wanted to get the city schools pointed in the right direction.

“One of the first things I want the public to know is that I am steadfast in my conviction to make Selma City Schools a successful school system,” he said. “I believe in the boys and girls of this city and I believe they can achieve. We must, secondly, share the same expectations for all students.”

Already, Jefferson said, he has seen a number of things within the system he likes.

“I like the reception we are getting from our teachers about what we are trying to accomplish,” he said. “We have instituted professional learning communities and we have had a good response.”

The system, Jefferson said, must be data driven and use programs like learning communities and Response To Instruction to collect and study information to finds the strengths and weaknesses of each school and student.

The latest AYP scores, Jefferson said, left something to be desired on the high school level.

“We, as a system, made our AYP, but the Chat Academy and Selma High School didn’t,” he said. “We have to focus on the areas of identified weaknesses and get them up to speed.”

Teachers and administrators must play a large role in students’ success, Jefferson said. But, he added, a portion of the students’ success or failure begins at home.

“I take every opportunity I can to speak to parents and tell them the Selma City School System can’t educate children alone,” he said.

Looking ahead, Jefferson said he would like to be able to look back on this date in 2011 and see things on the upswing.

“I hope to be able to say we have an effective school system and provide a quality education at all schools,” he said.