Rome City Schools administrators and educators were excited to learn they had been voted Best of Rome in a contest hosted by the Rome News Tribune. During a set period of time, the local newspaper asked their community to vote for their all of their favorite businesses, organizations and services that operate in the Rome and Floyd County area.
Rome City Schools took home four awards: Best Public High School (Rome High); Best Public Middle School (Rome Middle); Best Public Elementary School (West End); and Best Teacher (Allison Brown).
Courtney Crumley, Director of Communications and Public Engagement for Rome City Schools, manned one of the tables at an event hosted by the Rome News Tribune at the Coosa Valley Fairground’s Palladium. She said that the system works hard to ensure a great education for their students, and they are grateful that their community has recognized them for their efforts.
“Our leadership works hard to support our students and our teachers,” Crumley said, “and we feel that this award is also due to the support we enjoy from our community stakeholders. People often say to me that Rome City Schools is like a family, and that kind of atmosphere generally leads to success in the classroom. Our RCS School Board provides incentives for our faculty and staff to show them how much they are appreciated, and we try to provide student-focused activities that make learning fun and engaging. I am grateful and proud of our system, and this recognition really drives home the reality that we are doing something right.”
Dr. Dennis Drummond, principal at West End Elementary School, echoed Crumley’s thoughts when he said, “This is a phenomenal feeling,” he said. “Our kids are amazing, our teachers are amazing, and all of the credit goes to them and the leadership in our system who support our efforts. We have had a really tough couple of years, but I was proud of how everyone pulled together. We could not achieve something like this without the support of our community and our families. This is a team effort.”
Dr. Drummond went on to express the hard work he sees everyday in his hallways. He also said that having one of his teachers, Allison Brown, win the Best of Rome’s best teacher award was the icing on the cake.
Brown had one word to describe what winning this award means to her, “Humbling.”
"I think being successful as an educator is about building relationships,” she continued. “We work to build relationships with our students and their families. I teach third grade reading and writing at West End, but before I assign the first assignment, I focus on creating an environment where students are excited about being at school because they know we genuinely care for them all. I am also blessed to work alongside some of the most talented teachers and administrators. Rome City Schools is a great place to pursue a passion for educating kids and I am grateful for everyone who voted for me.”
“We have great people working in our system, so it is an honor to be recognized for our work in education,” added Superintendent of Rome City Schools Louis Byars as he made his way around to each table to say thank you to his community. “Of course, our students are wonderful, and they are the real reason why we see much of our success. I want to say thank you to our community and our stakeholders for recognizing us. We feel that we are the best, and we will continue to strive for excellence in academics, athletics, and the arts. We are all proud to be part of the Pack.”
Go Wolves!!!
