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Excitement was in the air at this morning's District Leadership Kickoff to mark the countdown to the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. Principals, Assistant Principals, and District leaders filed into Harrison High School's Performing Arts Center to hear from Superintendent Chris Ragsdale as well as participate in several breakout sessions and workshops.
After a welcome from Harrison Principal Ashlynn Campbell, new Chief School Leadership Officer Dr. Jasmine Kullar took the stage and briefly reminded the crowded auditorium of educational leaders about Cobb's three priorities toward achieving the District's mission of One Team, One Goal: Student Success. Those priorities are:
• Ensure that Cobb is the best place to teach, lead, and learn.
• Simplify our foundation for teaching and learning in order to prepare for innovation.
• Use data to make decisions.
Dr. Kullar then welcomed Superintendent Ragsdale to address the hundreds of educational leaders, where he discussed the priorities in greater depth. "It takes everyone from pre-K to 12th grade to make it possible to graduate more than 8,200 students a year," he said. The District graduated 8,286 students in 2023, which is 149 more than last year.
"Consistency is the word for this year," Superintendent Ragsdale said, "but consistency and student success cannot happen without the team approach."
"Cobb County School District has a long tradition of excellence and everyone plays a part in that," said Board of Education Chairman Brad Wheeler. "It's not an easy task, but there's no other challenge like what you're doing. The Board supports you and we wish you a great year. Enjoy it!"
Cobb's One Team has changed slightly this year. Over 500 new certified employees have been hired and several key leadership positions have changed hands. With the retirement of Dr. Kevin Daniel, Sherri Hill is Cobb's new Chief of Staff. Her previous position was filled by Dr. Kullar and several new Assistant Superintendents have joined her with new appointments to the School Leadership team:
• Adam Hill-Assistant Superintendent of West Side Middle Schools
• Dr. Liss Maynard-Assistant Superintendent of South Side Elementary Schools
• Gretchen Walton-Assistant Superintendent of Compliance and Legislative Affairs
"My excitement level is 100 for this coming year," said Sherri Hill with a smile. "I'm excited every year because we get to start fresh every August 1. We can reflect on what worked and what needs more work to make the biggest difference in kids' lives. I look forward to supporting the schools with any needs they have as we all work together to carry out the Superintendent's priorities."
The upcoming school year also includes 13 new school principals. Some were reassignments from other schools and some are first-time appointments. Their profiles can be found here:
Bradley Blackman, Dickerson MS
William Dryden, Sedalia Park ES
Dr. Katie Derman, Mountain View ES
Maria Braswell, Green Acres ES
Lindsey McGovern, Shallowford Falls ES
Shayna Clinkscales, Riverside ES
We wish you a great year, One Team! Thanks for all you are doing to keep Cobb on top and serving our students and their families well!
