Wheeler Schools Named Governor’s Leadership Academy

The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) has named Wheeler County Schools as a Governor’s School Leadership Academy (GSLA). The Wheeler School Board heard the good news at its regular monthly meeting on May 12.

The Academy is offered to continued from page

K-12 public school districts in Georgia, and admission to the GSLA is guided by a rigorous selection process that seeks dedicated district teams eager to enhance their leadership skills and drive impactful changes within their learning community.

“We are embarking on a new approach to deepen our impact and drive sustained success,” said Laine K. Reichert, Director of Educator Leadership and Research for the Academy. “This new state-funded multi-year opportunity, beginning in July 2025, offers a collaborative framework designed to support district teams in developing and refining leadership programs aligned with their unique needs and goals,” she added, The Academy envisions a statewide network rooted in research-based practices serving as a state and national model, informing education policy and strengthening Georgia’s educator workforce.

The Academy offers a comprehensive support system designed to enhance the competencies of leadership development, fostering growth and achievement for the entire school district. Through targeted professional development, team coaching, and strategic support, the Academy equips leaders at varying levels with the tools to navigate complex challenges, foster innovation, and cultivate a culture of excellence. The goal is to create a lasting impact of sustainable and transferable independence where empowered leadership teams inspire their educators and most importantly improve student outcomes.

One of the benefits of the Academy is strengthening the workforce pipeline by developing a robust internal pipeline of educators, progressing from teacher induction to district- level leadership. This effort focuses on enhancing collective effectiveness, addressing systemic growth opportunities, and prioritizing strategic recruitment, retention, and professional development.

Superintendent of Wheeler Schools, Dr. C. Alex Alvarez, said the Academy will be launched in a July 22 meeting at the Heart of Georgia RESA in Dublin where Wheeler County will join other school districts selected for the program. He said the local initiative will involve 18 members of the Wheeler School staff, who come from a broad cross-section of personnel. Members of the school’s Instructional Design Team, assistant coaches and coaches, teacher leaders from each grade level, and central office personnel are among those who will participate in the Academy.

Dr. Alvarez said the two-year program will allow Wheeler County Schools to hone leadership skills and to interact and collaborate with other systems also involved in the Academy. One of the purposes of the Academy is to focus on developing successive leadership to sustain and carry forward the objectives of the Academy.

In other business, during its May session, the Board approved a request from Pamela Lee and Santina Fryer to operate Camp Grow in the old elementary school during the summer. The Board also heard an update on upgrades to the sports complex which were recently completed.

In a called meeting held May 21, the Board approved the tentative Wheeler County Schools FY26 budget. The budget projects total anticipated revenues of $15,404, 605 and total anticipated expenditures of $15,006,601. Community meetings regarding the budget will be held at the Board of Education office on June 9 at 6 p.m., and on June 23 at 6 p.m. The Board will hold a meeting on June 23 at 6:30 p.m. for final adoption of the budget.