From Bethany Bend you can catch a view of the brick starting to cover the frame of our new high school, or maybe from Cogburn Road you can catch a view of the pond that is surrounded by the beautiful wooded landscape. On the surface everyone can see that our school system is moving right along with the construction of our new high school, but there remains a lot of work to be done in the next year and many questions that need to be answered before the opening in August of 2012. I am excited to have been appointed to open our new high school and for the opportunity to bring our community together for the establishment of our school’s vision and mission. Right now our high school is being called the Bethany Bend High School site, but soon enough I will work to establish a committee that will name our school officially. Currently our new website will allow you to view pictures and follow the phases of construction and allow me to provide updates on timelines for establishing committees, including the naming committee, as well as providing opportunities for volunteers and business partnerships. We will work together as a school community to build and establish a school of high expectations and excellence in all our endeavors.
In talking with many parents in the community, I realize that on the one hand there is a lot of excitement about our new high school, and yet, on the other hand there is some trepidation. I realize that change is never easy, so my goal over the next few months is to build a trusting relationship with the community and together we will develop a shared vision for our new high school. I have officially moved into my new office at Hopewell Middle School, and this will give me a chance to work directly with our feeder schools and focus my full attention on our new school. Again, I feel very fortunate to have been appointed to open our system’s newest high school, and I am very excited about the challenges ahead. While I have had very limited opportunities to introduce myself to our parents and students, my goal is to hold parent and student ‘meet and greets’ throughout the neighborhoods and businesses in our school community over the next few months. I am very sensitive not to disrupt the operations of our current schools, but I hope to answer the biggest question I get on a daily basis which is “what vision am I bringing to the high school on Bethany Bend?”
The system has provided a brief bio on me on our county’s website and probably many of you have already ‘googled’ my name, but I would like to share a little more about myself. My wife Leslie shares my excitement for opening our new high school because although it will directly impact my career, it may also directly affect our kids. My son Britt is excited to enter the 9th grade at West Forsyth HS but has a keen interest in the development of the new school and asks lots of questions. Whether he comes with me or not will be his decision, but I have guaranteed him that if he does come, the high school will be ready for him. In addition, my daughter Ann will be a 5th grader at Crabapple Crossing Elementary and wants to go to high school with her dad. The future possibility of our school having an Animal Science program peaks her interest as well. In my first letter, I do not want to bore you with my educational background. If you are interested, I believe my resume is posted somewhere on the web or you can view what our system has posted: http://portal.fultonschools.org/News_Room/Archives/Pages/PrincipalsnamedforBethanyBendhighRoswellHighandCogburnWoodsElementary.aspx
I think it would be more beneficial to give you some insight into my educational philosophy, and hopefully it will give you an early sense as to the direction we are headed together.
My philosophy in education was shaped very early in my career when I served as a counselor for teenage boys in a reform school and my years as a special education teacher. My leadership philosophy is built on two fundamental beliefs:
1) I believe the learning environment must support each individual student’s strengths and weaknesses and interests.
2) I believe that learning is personal. Students perform better, learn more, and are more engaged in school when they are connected to the people, programs, and curriculum.
I had a great experience in high school and that is the main reason I chose to spend the last 20 years working with high school students. In speaking with several parents about the new school, one comment I have heard consistently starts like this, “My child has an interest in….” I can assure you that whether your child has an interest in sports, band, orchestra, drama, or student government, etc. I will work to make sure that all programs are available at our new high school that are similar to the offerings of other high schools, but more importantly that our offerings are similar to the needs and interests of our students. The academic piece of our school is the most important element, and one of my goals is to offer all the AP offerings that our neighboring schools offer from day one. When we begin the process of developing our school’s mission statement, it will be tied to “student learning” and all the programs we offer at the new school will build upon our academic focus.
Here are a few other things that will give you an indication of what I believe in:
1. Academics come first and that everything we do must support student learning inside and outside the classroom.
2. Students and parents are involved in their child’s education.
3. Learning is personal for our students, and our students perform better when they are connected to the people, programs, and the curriculum of the school.
4. Extracurricular activities are an integral part of a student’s educational experience.
5. My responsibility is to prepare students for success beyond high school and not just graduation from high school.
6. The academic programs, extracurricular activities, and culture of the school are reflective of the needs and interests of our school community.
7. Technology is critical in meeting the educational needs of our students.
8. A strong relationship with our feeder schools is necessary in preparing our students for high school.
9. The learning environment must be safe so children can learn.
10. The most important resource in a school is the personnel, and I will hire the highest quality staff and let them do their jobs.
I will continue to write articles each month for our website and look forward to meeting you at one of the upcoming community meetings. My plan is to update the website each week with pictures and to update our community on committees that are being formed. In addition I will be working on opportunities for our community to get involved in our high school as well as opportunities to provide feedback on some very important decisions that will need to be made. Together we will create our own identity for our high school that will be second to none.
