Teams of medical professionals apply amazing, amped-up efforts in hospitals and emergency rooms every day to save lives and give patients a second chance to live successful and significant lives.  Likewise, we see the same urgency and effort daily in administrative offices and classrooms in Walker County.

Walker County Schools' mission is to prepare students for post-secondary experiences and to be workforce ready without the need for remediation.  As teams of professional educators, we are highly trained to intervene with amped-up strategies and to use our knowledge and skills to save our students from not achieving all that they possibly can and not moving into their lives capable of actualizing their dreams.

In "waiting rooms" throughout the system we find parents and community members anxiously awaiting the diagnosis, plan of treatment, names of suggested specialists, identification of tests and expectations for results for their "patients" (students).  With complete confidence that their students will remain healthy and thrive while safely in our care, families and communities send "patients" (Walker County students) to our "treatment centers" (schools).

November 15th was National Parental Involvement Day.  For the past several months, Superintendent of Schools Melissa Mathis addressed Walker County's graduation rate with parents of elementary students.  Mathis presented the need for parental involvement and the benefits of promoting high school graduation to young children.  During the Principals' Power Hour at Naomi Elementary she explains how parents can help their students succeed.

"What you don't know can't hurt you" and "Ignorance is bliss" are old sayings we have all heard.  However, all of us who care about or have a part in the education of young people know these old sayings are absolutely not true in today's society.
 
In fact, never has the time for communication and shared knowledge been more important in our lives and the lives of our children than at this time as we address our graduation rate in a significant way in order to improve the quality of life for all of Walker County. We must all invest in communicating with each other in a meaningful way then focus on the most important goals for our young people and realistic ways to achieve them.
 
Children may make wrong choices when they don't know not to talk to strangers or that a white powder may be poison not candy. Ignorance will not protect them, but knowledge will.
 
Older students may not be aware of the changes that happen as they begin to grow and change and that risky, uninformed behavior may have life-changing consequences for their entire families. Ignorance will not protect them, but knowledge will.
 
This applies equally to parents, teachers and administrators. If we stay in our own domains—parents in the home and educators in the schools—then we will know nothing of each other. Opinions we form about each other will be based on speculation at best. When problems arise, we will each act separately, based only on what we do not know, each of us in our separate place, dealing with a problem from a perspective that may or may not bear any resemblance to what the situation actually is.
 
What you don't know can't just hurt you - it can hurt your child.
 
If we are to be successful in educating your children, our students, to graduate ready for the work force or post secondary education then we must all work together toward this end. We must get to know each other, develop mutual understanding and respect, and work together for the high achievement and well being of every child.
 
Opportunities exist at every Walker County school for you as parents and community members to know about our schools.  We welcome you and want you to know about the needs of the students, the rigor of the curriculum, strategies of the teachers, goals of the administrators, and support of the system. This focused communication creates the foundation our community can use to build better educational attainment and quality of life for Walker County citizens.
 
It is now the second quarter of the school year. Have you participated in an individual conference with a teacher or administrator? Have you attended an open house, concert or sporting event? Have you had the pleasure of participating in an author's tea, presentation of a science project, family night, parent workshop or PTO meeting? Have you visited the parent resource center or school web site? Consulted a school nurse or guidance counselor?
 
Do you know the academic or graduation coaches? What concerns and praise do school personnel have for your child? Do you help your child with homework?  Who are your child's friends? What is your child's behavior at school? Have you visited your child at school?  We welcome and encourage you to do so soon.
 
There is so much going on in our schools—what you don't know may hurt your or our very best efforts for your child. Please visit your school(s) this quarter.
 
Truly- Knowledge is Bliss!

Angie Ingram, principal of Rock Spring Elementary, has been chosen a Georgia High Performance Principal by Governor Sonny Perdue and State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox.  Georgia High Performance Principals are highly qualified, highly effective leaders who have improved student achievement in their schools and whose schools are performing well above expectations.