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Guest Speaker: Mr. Robert Williams
Leading with Atlanta Public Schools

at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School

  
Neil Shorthouse, AWER program host for October presented Mr. Robert Williams, principal of M. Agnes Jones Elementary School. Mr. Williams noted that Mary Agnes Jones, the school’s namesake, was the first black administrator in the history of Atlanta Public Schools. Williams explained that in his role as principal it is important to be present and visible for the children. He spends a maximum amount of time with children and teachers promoting and observing and encouraging learning. He begins each day with “words of wisdom” through the school’s public address system. Additionally, he’s ensured the staff are ready and on-point for the day’s and week’s activities, with lesson plans.

M. Agnes Jones is a S.T.E.A.M. school – Science Technology Engineering Arts Math. Mr. Williams added Arts because it’s vital that creativity and imagination as the essence of the arts be added as a part of what is needed to realize S.T.E.M. objectives. He also spoke about Problem-Based Learning (aka Project-Based Learning) which presents students the opportunity to define and work on big issues and ideas in sustainability as an environment issue, how to take on neighborhood improvements, how a local tea company can work on the MAJ garden as a laboratory. M. Agnes Jones has key community partners who link community support services to students and families. Georgia-Pacific has been a partner for over 20 years and Georgia Tech works with student on building applications for coding. We also learned that LEAD Center For Youth is partnering with the school making it the first elementary school in Georgia with a baseball team.

Mr. Williams told us that a parent liaison engages as many parents as possible in reinforcing in their homes the work going on at school. He works to promote honesty, fairness and responsibility among parents and caregivers ... that they must invest in their kids for the school to be successful. He said homelessness, mental wellness are challenges which are addressed by another partner, CHRIS 180, which has a satellite at the school. He said every child must have at least one person with whom they have a vital and healthy personal connection, and also some special activity or project – so his team works on an array of opportunities and programs.

The school’s #1 academic focus is on reading and phonemic awareness, the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Both are key skills students need to learn so they can become readers and affect the school’s and each student’s academic success. AWER member Paige McKay Kubik asked about the difficulties in hiring teachers and other staff. Mr. Williams stated he needs to be an active recruiter and finding ways to promote the benefits of the M. Agnes culture and contributing to it, including increasing the number of wellness days for staff, showing flexibility to ensure staff are high priorities, not taken for granted. Currently, M. Agnes is staffed up.
Posted by Neil Shorthouse
October 26, 2023

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