Accountability

The Whitfield County School System was recommended for accreditation following a November 2018 visit by a 6-member External Review Team working on behalf of AdvancED.   The 6-member Engagement Review Team, comprised of professionals with varied backgrounds and experiences, included:

• Mr. Bill Craig - AdvancED Lead Evaluator - Contractor with the Virginia Department of Education Office of School Improvement and on-site supervisor for Liberty University student teachers
• Mrs. Christian Brock - Assistant Principal for Trion Elementary School, Trion Georgia
• Mrs. Denise Finley - K-8 Curriculum/Learning Support Specialist and MTSS/RTI coordinator for Lamar County Schools, Barnesville, Georgia
• Dr. Gail Greenway - Federal Programs Director for Emanual County Schools, Swainsboro, Georgia
• Dr. Merlina McCullough - Retired K-12 Literacy Specialist from the Arkansas Department of Education
• Mrs. Ceceilia Wiar - Retired Michigan administrator

The Whitfield County Schools AdvancED Presentation was presented to the Engagement Review Team and final AdvancED Engagement Review Report was approved by the AdvancED Global Commission in January 2019. 

The successful education for students begins with strong leadership, and Whitfield County Schools believes in the importance of effective, impassioned, and committed leaders. 

Foundations of Leadership:

• Instructional Leadership
• School Climate and Culture
• Student Achievement
• Organizational Management 
• Human Resources Administration 
• Teacher and Staff Evaluation 
• Professionalism 
• Communication and Community Relations 

Click for more information:

WCS Foundations of Leadership Chart

Foundation of Leadership - Standards and Competencies for Leadership Development

Application Process

The Whitfield County Aspiring Leaders Program is designed to identify and develop future leaders who have the dispositions, knowledge, and ability to strengthen our system and our community as effective school leaders. Candidates are district employees with a desire to serve in formal leadership roles and who are also willing to enroll in a leadership certification program if not currently certified. The candidates will engage in approximately 10 modules focusing on issues specific to school administration over the course of the program. 

Superintendent's Letter to Prospective Candidates

Download the Candidate Application 
(Please download the Word document. Do not open it in Google Docs.)

Diploma Requests

A Georgia law enacted in 2015 eliminated the graduation tests as a requirement to earn a high school diploma.

Who is Eligible?

Any student who first enrolled in the ninth grade on or after July 1, 1981 and completed all course requirements except passing the graduation tests may apply to receive a high school diploma. Eligibility is defined in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-281.1.

A person who is no longer enrolled in a Georgia public school and who previously failed to receive a high school diploma in this state or was denied graduation solely for failing to achieve a passing score on one or more portions of the Georgia High School Graduation Test or its predecessor or the Georgia High School Writing Test or its predecessor may petition the local board of education in which he or she was last enrolled to determine the student’s eligibility to receive a high school diploma pursuant to this Code section based on the graduation requirements in effect when the student first entered ninth grade. Once the local board of education confers a diploma upon a student meeting such requirements, the local board shall transmit to the Georgia Department of Education in accordance with department procedures the number of diplomas awarded.

Diploma Request Process

Requests should be submitted to the school from which a student would have graduated. Complete a Diploma Request Form and submit it to the high school guidance office. A diploma can be issued after school officials confirm the petitioning student meets all remaining graduation requirements. For further assistance, contact Amy Parker in the Whitfield County Schools Office of Assessment and Accountability at (706) 217–6734.

Requests are accepted year round, though students should note the best time to submit requests is between September and April during the regular school year. Expect longer response times when school is not in session.