Each October, National Principals Month recognizes the essential role that principals play in making a school great. Principals are among the hardest working, yet often least recognized individuals in education. This October Communities In Schools of Georgia honors these unsung heroes for their tireless efforts in pursuit of excellence in education.
Steven B. Dudley
Radium Springs Middle School, Albany, Georgia
Principal Dudley has supported whole school CIS events by being available, offering support, and making sure I have what I need for the events to be successful. He allows me to have creative freedom.
—LaPorshe Thornton, CIS Site Coordinator, Communities In Schools of Georgia in Albany/Dougherty County
Q&A with Principal Dudley:
Q: What inspires you?
A: What inspires me is seeing perseverance. Despite circumstances one may face or have faced they continue to push forward and make progress.
Q: What’s the best thing about being a principal?
A: The best thing about being a principal is having the opportunity to serve on a level that is not often thought of. Not about I but it’s about teachers and the staff, giving them the training, they need to serve. Having the ability to serve on a greater scale, touching lives.
Q: If you had to describe Communities in Schools in one word?
A: If I had to describe Communities in School of Georgia in one word it would be “Resourceful”.
Q: If you had to describe your Communities in Schools site coordinator in one word?
A: If I had to describe my Communities in School site coordinator in one word it would be “Available”.
Q: What has been the biggest change in your school because of CIS?
A: The biggest change in this school because of CIS is the added layer of support, resources for students exhibiting any kind of problems.
Q: What is the biggest challenge the school is facing now?
A: One of the biggest challenges the school is facing now is the added work that Covid-19 has left on us all. The partnership we have with CIS is having available resources that they offer.
Q: Does having a CIS site coordinator in your school have any effect on the way teachers teach or the way they relate to their students? Any other benefit to teachers?
A: Having a CIS site coordinator in the school have helped teachers because teachers will normally contact the site coordinator if he/she is having an issue with a student first, this is helpful with teacher sending students directly to admin.
Q: Do you feel that your CIS site coordinator has improved students’ social-emotional skills?
A: Yes, I feel that the CIS site coordinator has improved students social-emotional skills. It’s an ongoing process, going from virtual to in person is an adjustment.
Q: If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?
A: If I could pass on any wisdom to my students, it would be the power of making good choices. The students are older and middle schoolers have way more serious consequences. So being mindful of the choices they make is what I want to share with them.
Q: How do you think students will remember you?
A: I think students will remember that I was hard, but I care, I listen and I’m fair.
Q: Is there a quote or saying that you live your life by?
A: A quote that I live by is “To whom much is given much is required” “I believe it’s a blessing to be a blessing”.