Administration, teachers, students and Oglethorpe County residents attended the superintendent search input session on Jan. 15, where they worked together to answer questions regarding the goals and qualities of the new superintendent.
Beverley Levine, who has been the superintendent of the Oglethorpe County School System since 2015, announced her retirement in November. She plans to finish the school year and retire on June 30.
The event was organized by members of the Northeast Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) and the Oglethorpe County Board of Education.
“More people should be here tonight, in all honesty, because there’s more voices that need to be heard,” said Deshonda Wolfe, a teacher at OCHS. “So I'm here to lend my voice from the perspective of a citizen, a lifelong Oglethorpean, an educator and a concerned member of society.”
Teachers and community members had the opportunity to weigh in and write down their thoughts on whiteboards for each question, to later reconvene and decide on one main answer for each topic.
For those who were unable to attend, residents have the opportunity to complete an online version of the questionnaire at tinyurl.com/395f5fs6 by Friday, Jan. 23.
The topics were:
- Share your expectations for the next superintendent’s community involvement.
- Describe the leadership style needed in the next superintendent.
- What does the academic focus need to be for the next superintendent?
- Describe the financial stewardship that is important for the next superintendent.
- What student opportunities do you want to see championed by the new superintendent?
What are facility priorities for the new superintendent?
For those who attended the superintendent input session, the main qualities and goals emphasized for the new superintendent included: a strong focus on all students and staff, creating a culture of excellence, preparing graduates to be productive citizens, prioritizing high school renovations and safety measures and offering more career readiness, life skills and vocational opportunities for students.
“Not only am I a teacher, I am also a parent, so I have a vested interest in not only my job, but my child, too,” said Mareta Spencer, a teacher at OCHS. “So that was one reason I wanted to come out today and make sure that I'm hearing and feeling the same thing as a teacher and a mom as other people in the community are.”
The Oglethorpe County BOE and Northeast GA RESA intend to take each of the answers into consideration as they continue to look for a new superintendent. Applications for the position close on Friday, Jan. 23.