A familiar face will assume the role of chief leadership and learning officer in the Bartow County School System come June.
David Stephenson, the Wildcat at the helm of Woodland High School for five years will fill the position currently occupied by Clint Terza. Terza was unanimously voted by the Bartow County Board of Education to be the next superintendent of Bartow County Schools.
“I have a lot to learn in a short period of time, but I can’t wait to get to work with the instructional and operational experts across the BCSS and support Mr. Terza and our Board’s vision for our school system and our children,” said Stephenson.
Stephenson will utilize his 28 years of educational experience to oversee operations, maintenance, and all 20 BCSS principals.
“Years spent working directly with students were the most critical preparation I've had because you simply can't take on a role in education leadership unless you can anticipate and respond to
the needs of our community's children,” said Stephenson.
Before finding his home on Old Alabama Road in Cartersville, Stephenson spent 16 years teaching and coaching middle and high school students in multiple states, leading a magnet program, and enjoying an assistant principalship position.
“As far as administration and leadership roles, I've always believed that in your heart you know when you are able and ready to grow and change, and it always comes down to fit,” said Stephenson. “Being a principal in the Bartow County School System has been the perfect place at the perfect time in my life.”
Stephenson now finds that perfect fit at Central Office, where he is eager to take on the challenges of leading a rapidly growing school community.
“As Bartow grows, our community remains steadfastly committed to the highest achievement and learning outcomes in our students,” added Stephenson. “Getting there requires the coordinated efforts of hundreds of hardworking and skilled professionals, from our bus drivers who get our kids to and from our buildings safely, our maintenance and operations professionals who keep our facilities in tip-top shape, our campus safety personnel and administrative teams who work tirelessly to secure the well-being and safety of all students and staff, and of course the professional educators who collaboratively commit to the strongest learning outcomes for our kids. Serving this vision will require attention to needs, monitoring of progress, and actively listening and responding to all stakeholders within our school system and throughout Bartow. I know that Mr. Terza and our School Board lead with clarity of purpose, and I am honored to support that purpose in new ways in the months ahead.”