(Mayfield KY, August 2, 2012) - Graves County Schools teachers, staff, administrators, school board members and guests were treated to musical and reading presentations by students and encouragement from a Kentuckian who will soon take the reins of a national education organization during a back to school program at Graves County High School gymnasium on this Friday morning.

After a continental breakfast, music from students and introductions of new faculty at each school by students who will be attending that school, the crowd was addressed by a Kentuckian who is serving both on a county and national level in education.

Northern Kentucky attorney Ed Massey is the incoming president of the National School Boards Association. Massey is a member of the Boone COunty School Board. He's served sixteen years and plans to run for the office again. Massey came to Mayfield early in the morning after flying into Northern Kentucky the night before. He told the 700 attendees that he kissed his wife, children and dog, then drove to Mayfield. He joked he got to school before anyone else.

Massey's duties as a member of the National School Boards Association board requires him to travel extensively. He has visited school districts all over the nation. He said its a mistake to look at schools from the top down. The top being the board to the board office to the school administrators to the principal to teachers to parents to students. Massey advocates looking at schools from the opposite perspective.

"Never forget while you are here," he told teachers.

Most important to Massey are students, then parents, then teachers, then principals, administrators and board members. He looks at schools as the way to serve future leaders.

"We may argue among ourselves." but when the time comes schools have common problems and common interests. The only way to succeed is to work together. Massey advocates something he called "adaptive leadership." To quoting JFK, "Change is the law of life."

He told educators and students "those who look to the past are sure to miss the future."

The real work starts Monday, he said. That's when school starts.