Articles by the Superintendent
It should be no secret to anyone that school safety is paramount to us as public school leaders. Our primary mission is student growth and achievement for each individual learner. To foster and maintain safe and supportive learning environments, we must simultaneously focus on preventing, preparing for, responding to, and effectively recovering from all potentially hazardous situations.
As a public school system, Whitfield County Schools values our partnerships with individuals and businesses who help support our students inside and outside the classroom. In addition to volunteering and donating resources, citizens and business owners now have a new way to help our schools.
The One Whitfield motto signifies our vision of striving for excellence while preparing students for success. We adopted a theme for this school year that builds on this motto: One Journey, One Whitfield, which speaks to the unity of purpose and perseverance necessary for student success.
As I have gotten older, I realize that not everyone shares my perspective, and I am certainly not the only one with good ideas. In education, we may be tempted to assume that adults always know what is best for students. When we fail to consider the student perspective in decision-making, we miss valuable insights that could lead to better educational outcomes. For this reason, we have come to value the power of student voice.
We were all shaken this week by the news of yet another mass killing in a school—this time, not too far from home. Our hearts break for Apalachee High School and the Barrow County community. This senseless act reminds us that we must all maintain the proper perspective on managing school safety and security.