Successful Leadership

Dr. Curtis L. Jones Jr. was named Superintendent of the Griffin-Spalding County School System on June 2, 2009, by a unanimous vote of the Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education, and he took office two weeks later.

As Griffin-Spalding superintendent, Dr. Jones has led the school district to historic levels of success.  As noted during the 2011 AdvancEd district accreditation visit, the school district was commended by the Quality Assurance Review Team (QART) team for:

·   Developing a continuous improvement process that is showing significant increases in student performance.

·   Aligning leadership and communication protocols internally and externally to support the district’s initiatives.

·   Demonstrating commitment to the success of each student.

·   Supporting instruction through the systemic use of a variety of data analysis tools.

Additionally, the QAR team gave the Griffin-Spalding County School System the highest rating, fully functional, in two standards: (1) Vision and Purpose, and (2) Documenting and Using Results. The QAR team gave GSCS the second highest rating, Operational, in the remaining five standards: (1) Governance and Leadership, (2) Teaching and Learning, (3) Resources and Support Systems, (4) Stakeholder Communications and Community Relationships, and (5) Commitment to Continuous Improvement.

The QAR team’s justification in these commendations and ratings were the district’s revised mission, vision, and value statements, as well as its ubiquitous use of a strategy map, a team-based protocol for improvement, Performance Matters, Read 180, Thinking Maps, and Positive Behavior and Supports (PBIS). Historic highs in graduation rates, the closing of achievement gaps, and the marked improvement in test scores were also noted by the team.

About the Superintendent

Dr. Jones, a graduate of Griffin High School (1973) and the United States Military Academy (1977), was an officer in the U.S. Army from 1977 to 1997, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was the principal at Griffin High School from 2001 to 2005 after serving as the school's JROTC instructor from 1997 to 2001. Under his leadership, Griffin High's SAT scores improved from an average of 910 to an average of 975. As an educator, he helped 10 Griffin High School students earn military scholarships through the JROTC program, including two to West Point Military Academy, one to the Georgia Institute of Technology, five to North Georgia College and State University, and two to Auburn University. In addition, he was honored as Griffin High School's Teacher of the Year in 2000.

He then served as the Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services for the Griffin-Spalding County School System from 2005 until 2009. Dr. Jones led the school system in creating its first ever strategic plan. He also functioned as the lead agent for the district’s energy action plan. But most noteworthy was Dr. Jones’ implementation of Title I in No Child Left Behind. Under his leadership, Title I became the school system’s vehicle for school improvement. The number of Title I schools making AYP was 7 of 9 schools in 2005 to 11 of 12 in 2009. Additionally, Dr. Jones improved the district’s Pre-K and ELL program. As a result, the Griffin-Spalding County School System became a leader in the state in Title I ELL, Pre-K, and PBIS and has been called upon to share with others its strategies and logic models for improvement.

Dr. Jones holds a Master of Business Administration from Albany State College, a Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Lincoln Memorial University and a Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Additionally, he has completed the Army’s Command and General Staff School, a ten-month graduate-level program focusing on leadership philosophy, military history, and the military planning and decision-making processes. Dr. Jones has also previously held the Certified Financial Planner designation from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., an affiliate of the Financial Planning Standards Board.

Community Service

Dr. Jones has served as Chairperson of the Kiwanis Club of Griffin K-Kids program, as well as working as the club's lieutenant governor in 2009. In 2009, he received the Kiwanis International Foundation George F. Hixson Fellowship. He is a District G Past President of the Georgia Association of Secondary Schools Principals. On August 15, 2009, he was presented the Lamp of Knowledge Achievers' Award by the Kelsey School Properties. 

A member of the Trinity Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Dr. Jones is on the church's Board of Trustees and its Steward Board, as well as serving as its Lay Leader Chairman since 1997. From  2006 until 2009, he was the Coordinator of the CME's Ministry to Men for the Central Georgia Region.

Family

His wife, the former Evelyn Kendall of Griffin, Georgia, graduated from Manhattanville College in New York and has a Master’s degree from Columbus College and a Specialist degree from  Lincoln Memorial University. She is a career educator and is the principal at Anne Street Elementary School. They have three children, all of whom are Griffin High School graduates. Curtison is in business in Athens, Georgia; Jaimon is a high school teacher in Walton County (Georgia); and Leah, who is currently enrolled in the University of Virginia Medical School. 

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