Through intentional leadership development, the Columbia County School District is creating a culture where students, educators, and administrators are empowered to lead and succeed.
October is National Principals Appreciation Month… the perfect time to celebrate our outstanding leaders and to talk about the Columbia County School District’s focus on growing leaders. Leadership initiatives are tied directly to the school district’s strategic plan and its goal that focuses on talent optimization. A key to the district’s work in this area is its focus on growing leaders and unleashing the promise found within its students and staff members. With this in mind, CCSD’s emphasis on leadership development is designed to prepare and support leaders across the school district. These leadership initiatives touch every level of the school district, from the students and teachers in the classroom to our principals who are instrumental in setting a school’s vision and building a positive school culture.
Our school district takes great pride in its work to develop students as leaders. Student leaders are making a difference at local schools as leaders in their community and classrooms and through their participation in student government associations and other clubs and at the district level as part of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council.
Our teachers are leaders in the classroom every day. In the CCSD, we believe leadership begins on day one. Every teacher enters the profession with the support of a mentorship program, unique to our district, partnering new educators with experienced teachers who serve as mentor leaders and provide guidance, encouragement, and real-world coaching as they navigate their first years in the classroom. This intentional pairing also helps cultivate future leaders amongst our current teachers. As educators gain experience, they continue to grow as instructional leaders, mentoring colleagues, leading professional learning, and sharing best practices that impact students across our district and beyond. Most importantly, we understand the importance of keeping exceptional educators connected to students. Here in the CCSD, we offer meaningful leadership opportunities for teachers. They are recognized as leaders locally and throughout the state, presenting at professional conferences and leading learning experiences on topics ranging from instructional excellence and counseling to parent engagement and student support. In addition, the CCSD’s Aspiring Leader Program provides a pathway to further leadership growth through targeted, job-embedded clinical experiences, such as shadowing an assistant principal at two different school levels and learning about school district governance by attending school board meetings. Combined, these opportunities create a culture where leadership is nurtured at every level and where educators are empowered to grow throughout their careers.
Assistant Principals are key school leaders, providing instructional and operational support to the school principal. Our top-notch cadre of assistant principals helps manage the day-to-day operations of schools, including student discipline, safety, attendance, and coordination of extracurricular activities. Because the role of assistant principal is the pathway to becoming a school or district leader, CCSD has developed its Aspiring Principals/District Leader Program. In this program, participants study leadership principles over a two-year period that prepare them to most effectively lead and manage school improvement. It includes, but is not limited to, the following areas: Instructional Leadership, School Climate, Planning and Assessment, Organizational Management, Human Resource Management, Teacher/Staff Evaluation, Professionalism, and Communication and Community Relations.
As for our Principals, our school district knows that to attain our vision of leading the nation in educational excellence, we must have great principals in every school. The most effective way to provide students with the best teachers is to have an excellent school leader who attracts, supports, motivates, and retains high-quality educators. Effective leadership in each local school is instrumental to increasing student achievement and operational success. In developing a vision for school leadership, CCSD has focused on finding and thoroughly preparing the right people to become principals, then providing the conditions necessary for them to be supported and developed throughout their leadership careers. We do this through monthly leadership meetings, leadership seminars, the Summer Leadership Conference, mentoring, and more. In the CCSD, supporting principals consistently and effectively on the job is a primary focus for the district every day.
In the Columbia County School District, we believe in the promise of leadership and are committed to helping our people lead and succeed!
Mr. Steven Cummings is one of two Associate Superintendents in the Division of School Improvement with the Columbia County School District, where he leads a select team of elementary, middle, and high school principals within the Division of School Improvement. The division utilizes data and research-based practices to help schools set and improve student achievement goals. With nearly 27 years of experience in public education, Mr. Cummings helps equip school leaders to make informed decisions that strengthen student success through professional learning opportunities, principal development, and oversight of school improvement planning.
Pictured on the left are the principals of the Columbia County School District who lead educational excellence in their school buildings and communities. They are working to help Keep The Promise of CCSD each and every day. Happy National School Principals Appreciation Month.
