"High expectations... high level of support.": 2026 Summer Leadership Conference sends crystal clear message to school leadership

Alonna McMullen: There's a sense of enthusiasm that we have this year.

Roger Moss: It's really about the culture.

Jacob Roberson: I like the vision starting at the top.

Ken Slats: Which holds with it Unlimited Possibilities for students. And it starts at the core.

Dr. Denise Watts: And they are going to get a consistent baseline opportunity where and every school, every day learning expectations are clear and students can be successful.

Roger Moss: This group is so focused on producing the most future ready kids and that's what's important.

Alonna McMullen: It's very clear. No room for interpretation. We know exactly what we need to do. We know the end goal and we now have a plan, a way to get to the end goal as a unit versus all students, schools being able to do their own thing.

Mary Ann Lamberth: There is a distinct feel that the entire district is now adopting that principle that we are preparing students for jobs of tomorrow and for the future, and that is going to take every single piece of our district, every single person in our district, to make sure our students are ready for the future.

Ken Slats: The Summer Leadership Conference brought together principals, assistants and district leadership. It was the clear, concise message echoed throughout the Savannah Convention Center, and one which Dr. Watts believes should be the cornerstone that every student is to have a choice-filled life.

Jacob Roberson: Knowing how to grow not only your students, but grow those teachers and giving those teachers that level of support, making sure that they know there's high expectations for students, there's high expectations for, you know, the teachers themselves. But with those high expectations comes a high level of support.

Dr. Denise Watts: And what we have been doing over the last few days is creating the conditions, providing the professional development, the learning, the opportunity for collaboration so that we can manifest Unlimited Possibilities and we can operationalize those key leader actions that we need to move the work forward.

Jacob Roberson: The alignment and everything that's going on with the strategic plan. It's all student focused. It's growing students growing kids, supporting your teachers and getting the schools where they need to be.

Alonna McMullen: We understand the goal. We understand the vision, and we will do whatever it takes to make sure that that vision comes to life.

Ken Slats:  For SCCPSS, I'm Ken Slats.