Before teachers return to the schools, before students pick out new book bags, and before the school bell rings again, Cobb County School District leadership starts drawing the road map for a successful new school year.
During the annual Leadership Kick Off event July 13 at McEachern High School, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer John Schuerholz inspired CCSD leaders by outlining the tactics he used to build the Atlanta Braves into a winning baseball team. A former teacher himself, Schuerholz emphasized the importance of selecting good team members and then honoring, trusting, empowering and preparing them for success. The baseball executive and former president of the Braves said educators have a responsibility to create, promote and strengthen through their actions, words and attitudes.
Cobb Schools Superintendent Chris Ragsdale echoed Schuerholz and encouraged school leaders not only to pick winning team members, but also to show appreciation for the roles they play in improving student success on a continual basis.
“Our team will be successful as long as we don’t take our eye off the ball and forget about the people doing the job,” Ragsdale said.
Setting high goals is one of the main ways Schuerholz transformed the Braves into World Series champions. Encouraging the educators to aim high, he shared words of wisdom he told Braves team members: “Better to aim for perfection and miss, than aim for imperfection and hit it.”
CCSD’s mission — One Team, One Goal: Student Success — includes the same one-word focus that Schuerholz used to transform the Braves — team.
“I strongly believe that one of the key ingredients to building a winning team effort is creating and enhancing the team concept, whether it is baseball or teaching,” Schuerholz said.
By Nan Kiel
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