GREENE COUNTY
Assistant School Superintendent for Greene County schools, Dr. Rotonya Rhodes, has cultivated the art of teaching, and it is not just limited to reading, writing and arithmetic.
A lifelong resident of Greensboro, Rhodes, 40, has been actively involved in all facets of educational development for the district.
Overseeing and managing three schools with a combined student population of over 1,400 students, she works closely with Superintendent Dr. Chris Houston and members of the Greene County Board of Education.
Rhodes credits a calling she has for education, having been a STAR student and actively involved at Greene County’s former high school, Greene-Taliaferro Comprehensive High School.
She took advantage of the “full experience” and made sure to be involved in most extracurricular activities. A former drum major for the school, Rhodes sees the importance of nurturance of academic excellence and the accountability of students. It is paramount for success, she noted.
A 2004 graduate of Georgia College & State University, Rhodes went on to earn a master's in education the following year. She didn’t sit idle too long and eventually became a substitute teacher in Jones County before becoming a social studies instructor at Greene County High School upon graduating in 2005.
“I found I really enjoyed working with the students in high school,” she said. “Contrary to what is typically thought, I believe most kids want to learn and excel. I especially liked to use real-world events and topics to engage their interest and participation.”
At Greene County High School, she taught social studies: government and economics.
She found students learn more readily if they applied their interests and participated in group projects. A few projects included participating in team debates about current events, conducting mock elections, and participating in the Georgia Stock Market Game.
It was at this time that Rhodes was recognized for her leadership skills in her teaching roles. She was encouraged to further develop a skillset she could apply in administration.
While working on her specialist degree at the University of Georgia, she completed the Rising Stars Leadership program at the Northeast Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency and found that she especially liked mentoring, exploring policies, and promoting applications at the school level.
She is credited with starting the earlier school system’s “Learning Academy,” which developed into a successful program aimed at reducing dropout rates. She performed multiple roles, including identifying and encouraging kids who dropped out to return to obtain their graduation certificates. Foothills Academy is now the program the school system refers to. Foothills has its own staff and is funded largely by grants.
Rhodes joined the school system’s administration team as assistant superintendent in 2012 and was asked to lead a process that looked at fellow teaching staff and practices utilized in the classroom, building relationships, evaluating classroom discussions and increasing interaction with technology. She served as the head of the central office’s Curriculum and Instruction Department for nine years.
Recently, she has begun to initiate new activities to get parents more engaged and formed a District Parent Advisory Council of 12 members who meet monthly. It has provided a platform for parents to share with the school ways in which to improve education in the district and communication with teachers and staff. A similar program, a Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, comprised of two students from grades 5 through 12, meets quarterly to address concerns in the classrooms and to promote grade-level ideas.
Rhodes has instilled new protocols, such as adopting a new data analysis procedure to encourage best practices throughout each of the schools, allowing staff to recognize successes while evolving teaching and learning practices to meet current needs. She is also spearheading the strategic plan for the school system that places a high emphasis on community input for implementation. Rhodes also leads the district’s Aspiring Leaders program, which aims to grow and develop the district’s future leaders.
“It is important to acknowledge that if there were no teachers, there would be no professions,” she said. “Essentially, we are preparing kids for jobs that may or may not exist now. As is often said, they are the future.”