The first day of school officially began for Tallapoosa County Schools on Friday, August 19. As the new school year gets underway, The Outlook interviewed Superintendent Ray Porter about his expectations and goals in the months ahead.
How have school leaders prepared for the first day of school?
We've had meetings at the district level, we've looked at our data, and we've made adjustments that will come to fruition as the first day of school starts. Each principal has also set forth their one-year and three-year plans. So, the first day of school for us means a day of discovery for students. It's coming back to a place where learning is fun.
What will be on most on your mind going into the 2022-23 school year?
This fall, we will add another component of mental health services by having a mental health coordinator position that we haven't had in the past. This will help our students with addressing social and emotional needs and not just academics.
The state has helped us with that and they have provided some funding because they recognize, the legislature recognizes, that mental health services in schools are something that need to be invested in. It's a collaborative effort between the legislature, the State Board of Education, and at the local education level.
This past year, we also have had facility construction on every campus, and as we start school, we have construction at Horseshoe Bend, Reeltown and at Dadeville.
We recently completed active shooter drills not just at all campuses but all schools. We'd like to thank local law enforcement and first responders as it was a county-wide effort. Those involved EMS, fire departments and police.
What would you like students to know as they return to classes?
To the students who are coming back, we're excited to see you, and we're excited for this school year. We look forward to all the new programs that we have in place that children can take advantage of. We've learned a lot over the past three years. Education has changed a lot, and there are no more straight rows and lectures in a classroom. We like interactive classrooms with a combination of technology, and face-to-face. We like a 21st century classroom.
What would you like to tell parents as the new school year begins?
Join us in this partnership of educating your children. We want you to be a part of our schools. You are vital stakeholders. You make our job fun by being able to recognize what we've done in the classroom with your child.
What safety upgrades have been added to campuses?
Safety drills, cameras and fencing. We will be adding fences around Horseshoe Bend to regulate traffic flow. We're fortifying our campuses with an SRO at every campus, and this helps provide a safe learning environment so all we have to focus on is learning and we don't have to focus on anything sinister.
School equity has been a focus of your administration. How is that going to continue into the new school year?
Since I took office, it was one of the campaign promises that I made and it has been a promise that everybody else has joined in. [Stakeholders] want equity across the county, and they are getting it. We have two gyms under construction right now. All of our gyms, both elementary and high school, will be air conditioned for the first time in history. At Reeltown, we had over 500 people come for the ribbon-cutting and meet-the-teacher night. There's 500 students at the school, and 500 people came for the open house. There's a sense of enthusiasm in Tallapoosa County that hasn't been present for several years. COVID I'm sure had something to do with it and people wanting to get back out, but people are also aware of all the good things that are happening in our schools, and everybody wants to be a part of that.