The Baldwin County School District hired Dr. Rodney Tyson, Sr. as its new deputy superintendent. Tyson will be working under the new Superintendent Dr. Kristina Brooks.
Tyson has over 18 years of experience in K-12 education serving in roles such as high school principal, alternative school principal, assistant principal and Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps director. Tyson was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, so his introduction to the education field was through JROTC, where he took his leadership capabilities from his service and developed them to create new leaders.
“I started out as a classroom teacher as the JROTC director and began the program at Grovetown High School in Augusta. I did that for eight years and after that I became an assistant principal in high school and a high school principal before transitioning to the role prior to this one as principal of an alternative school,” said Tyson.
Tyson saw the opportunity to work in Milledgeville through an online application on Teach Georgia. However, his first experience with the Baldwin County School District was during a visit as an assistant principal at a rival high school.
“We came down on a Friday night for a football game and I saw the outpour of community support. I told the principal at the time I was with that I did not believe we were in the right place because it looked more like a college atmosphere than a high school one with all of the community support,” said Tyson. “That left a lasting impression on me, and so I continued to monitor some of the great things happening in Baldwin County. I’ve always admired that from afar.
“I come from a small town and Baldwin County reminded me a lot of home,” added Tyson. “It took an entire community to invest into me to help me become who I am today, and I think the path I have walked has led me to this position.”
When looking at his experience, Tyson credited his military roles as the foundation for being able to manage personnel, teach leadership, and handle logistics. He also stated that he owned and operated three Subways, which has given him business experience from both the ownership and consumer side.
“Those experiences helped me to understand how to build relationships and connect with schools and the general public. Then, when I was in the education field, I learned how to build relationships directly with the students and identify their needs to help them find success,” said Tyson. “The most important thing was building relationships not only with them but the families. It is a community effort that gives the best experience for a child. It takes the entire community to build the next leaders.”
One of Tyson’s first goals as deputy superintendent is to be involved in the community, introduce himself, and identify goals and concerns that the community has regarding the school district.
“I want to find out what they are expecting from me as deputy and assure them I will do everything in my power to ensure the academic success of our students,” said Tyson. “I plan to go to local events to introduce myself and to host possible meet-andgreets with Dr. Brooks to allow the community to come and meet me directly. I want to use every opportunity I have to be involved with the local community and show my support and commitment both inside and outside the schools.”
According to Tyson, Brooks and his vision for the district align and they both “strongly believe in supporting the success of each student and that it takes a community to reach that success.” Tyson hopes to be the “bridge” between Brooks and the community to ensure her goals are met.
“I see us working very well together and I am very excited about the opportunity and what we can do. Dr. Brooks is passionate about learning, and I am passionate about being a leader,” said Tyson. “When you combine those passions, we’re set to continue that amazing legacy left by Dr. Noris Price (the current superintendent).”
Tyson was approved during the Baldwin County Board of Education meeting on May 13 but will not effectively begin his position until July 1.