drjamesarnold.com

“A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader; a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” - Eleanor Roosevelt Bruce Potts is the Principal of Sonoraville High School, but began his teaching career as a para-pro in Gordon Central high school's In-School Suspension program.  Working as a para is a long way from school administration, but starting at that level allowed Bruce to learn about teaching and kids from the bottom up, and provided an experience and appreciation of the ground level, front line work teachers and paras do with students that other administrators may not have. His Principal was impressed with his success with those challenging students and assigned him to work with a group of at-risk 9th graders in a Physical Science class.  This group’s behavior had led to the resignation of the teacher early in the school year and the subsequent refusal of 3 long term substitutes to return to that class.  Bruce had no classroo...

Are We There Yet?    I will admit that I was more than a little skeptical when I learned about the group appointed by Governor Deal to investigate the possibility of updating the decades old formula used to fund education in Georgia.  It wasn’t necessarily the membership that made me suspicious, but the motives behind such an effort.  Governor Deal has shown himself on more than one occasion to be a supporter of the privatization of public education, one who believes that charter schools will provide a magical answer to the effects of poverty on learning and one that believes public schools and public school teachers must be the both the problem and the enemy because every student in public education does not succeed at high educational levels.  Career politicians like the Governor seem to have developed a sincere belief that quick fixes and silver bullets will solve educational issues and that if only teachers could once again do more and more with ...

You can’t go much farther northeast in Georgia than Hart County without running into South Carolina.  Hart County is the only county in Georgia named after a woman, and Nancy Hart was a legendary hero of the American Revolution.  When British soldiers arrived at her cabin looking for her patriot husband, Nancy plied them with alcohol, stole their guns, shot one who resisted and, when her husband returned, insisted they be hanged as retribution for their intrusion on her cabin and family.  Even though the incident did not occur in the area, Georgians were impressed enough with Nancy’s courage, tenacity and patriotic spirit to name the county after her.  The county was created in 1853 by the Georgia Legislature, and Hartwell is the county seat.  Lake Hartwell, also named after Nancy, occupies the center of the county and the city of Hartwell, the county seat, sits on its southern shore.  The town and the county are in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountai...

The Wolves Are Out of the Closet SB 152 is sponsored by Hunter Hill (R-Atlanta), Francis Millar (R-Atlanta) and Curt Thompson (D-Tucker).  It creates a hybrid retirement system named “Georgia Teachers Pension and Savings Plan” and is written to cover new teachers on or after January 1, 2017.  Teachers currently covered under TRS may remain in TRS as long as they maintain active membership.  Current TRS members have the option of enrolling in the new plan.  This sounds a lot like “if you like your plan, you can keep your plan” doesn’t it? The new defined benefit plan allows members to contribute between 5 and 6% of their salary, and they will receive 1% of their highest average monthly salary multiplied by their years of service.  The current benefit is 2%.  No cost of living adjustments for contributors will be pre-funded by the legislature, accumulated sick leave is not available for inclusion and service credit transfers from other positions is only...

    Dr. Anderson received a letter last week from one of her 4th graders.  Shyla wrote “I think that now we are under new leadership we should have a new fierce mascot, like something that describes a warrior’s bravery.  What I had in mind was Timberwolves...I know that Timberwolves would suit the school and the Warrior Way.  Timberwolves would represent our school by letting everyone know that we are all in a pack, just like wolves. We’re all in this together.  No one stands alone in this school!...(Timberwolves) are fast learners.  So are our little warriors.”     Don’t think for a minute that kids don’t notice what happens when the culture in a school begins to change.  They usually know it before the adults do. W.L. Swain Elementary is in the little town of Plainville in Gordon County in northwestern Georgia.  The population of the town is 313, and students come from the town and the surrounding area. ...

   My grandsons and I talk a lot about school.  That’s not surprising considering it’s their job and for 39 years it was mine.  Stevie is in 5th grade and Tommie is in 3rd.  Tommie confided in me a few weeks ago that, despite what I may have heard “Pop, 3rd grade is no joke.”  Their parents and Nana and I are very happy with their respective teachers, their schools, the administrators and the system.  Any issues that come up with either of them are quickly addressed and communication is excellent.  We like the fact that their schools fit my definition of community schools and pay special attention to every child.  The boys tell me without too much prodding what they are reading, what they talk about in class, their progress and their likes and dislikes about their classes, the teacher made tests they take, their friends in their classes and how their teachers handle the problems that come up with behaviors and disruptions. They have le...

Building Administrators Making a Difference in Public Education in Georgia - Gina Linder     In the hall just outside the Main Office of Murray County High School, in a long glass display case, is a row of eight graduation gowns.  Each gown represents a different school year and each is covered with the signatures of the students representing the Senior class for that year.  Gina Linder conducts a ceremony for every grade level at the beginning of each year emphasizing the importance of graduation, but the Senior meeting is special.  At the end of that meeting, each member of the Senior Class gets to sign the green graduation gown.  The gown, with the signatures in silver ink, goes on display in the hall and serves as a daily reminder to MCHS Seniors of their commitment to graduation.  Gina wears the gown to the graduation ceremony and gets to spend at least an hour before the event posing for pictures with Seniors pointing to their sign...