Data, Meetings, and 500 Kids Later

Send us Fan Mail

A new school year doesn’t just need fresh energy; it needs better systems. From the GAEL conference in Jekyll Island, Georgia, we sit down with Brooks Robinson from Sumter County Schools to talk about what it really takes to support students consistently, not just when a problem becomes impossible to ignore.

Website: spotlight4success.com 

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:06):
Welcome to Spotlight for Success with American Boat
Company.
I'm your host, Eric Ventozi, andwe're here at the Summer Gale in
Jekyll Island, Georgia.
Here we have our special guest,Brooks Robinson, and he is the
director of student services inSumter County Schools.
So we're so thankful to have youhere today.
So tell me what brings you hereat Gale.

SPEAKER_01 (00:26):
We're here at the conference with our school
system, trying to attend some,well, not trying to, but
attending some sessions to learnand grow as we move into a new
year.
So we come basically every year.
A different set of leaders cometo these conference just to have
a chance to attend some sessionsand get gain updates, insight on

(00:49):
different things that havechanged, and to attend the
breakout sessions.
Awesome, awesome.

SPEAKER_00 (00:55):
Tell me a little bit about your position as director.

SPEAKER_01 (00:58):
So actually, I'm leaving my position as assistant
principal that I've done foralmost seven years, and I'm
moving into the position ofdirector of student services, in
which I will be over theintervention services for our
students.
Pretty much it's go MTSS, andwe're looking at the academics,
behavior, attendance, thewell-being of all students.

(01:20):
And we have to look at the wholechild.
So we want to make sure thateveryone is every student is
receiving what they are supposedto be receiving.
Just like a prescription.
When you go to the doctor, youwant the doctor to prescribe you
the right medicine.
So we have to get it right forour students to make sure that
they're going to be able tocontinue to learn and grow.
Absolutely.
And what are some ways you dothat?
So as of right now, we arecurrently working on our

(01:41):
manuals, our processes, to makesure that our teachers and our
principals and our schools knowthe steps to go through and
monitor the data pieces forbehavior, academics, and the
attendance piece.
We work closely with ourcurriculum director and our
consultants, and we are workingwith our content specialists to

(02:02):
make sure we're delivering thecorrect interventions for
students.
We have different platforms thatwe're using, Amira, iReddy, the
Renaissance platform, and tomonitor the students.
So, you know, just making surethat we're looking at the data
on a consistent basis and makingsure that we are aware of where
our students are.

SPEAKER_00 (02:20):
Amazing.
And uh tell me a little bitabout what you did as vice
principal these past sevenyears.

SPEAKER_01 (02:26):
So as the assistant principal, I was responsible for
testing.
I was also the testingcoordinator in the building.
Um we also I was alsoresponsible for discipline, um,
grades, um, report cards, makingsure everything was printed, um,
making sure we supportedteachers and collaborative
planners, attended ourleadership um leadership uh
meetings, um, and just lookingat the supports that we have for

(02:48):
students, you know, on adifferent level.
Yeah.
And so in the building, you'reyou're actually leading the
work.
Yeah.
And now you're at the district,so now you actually see what's
going on from the district lensbecause you're on at the school
level, you only see what's goingon in your building.
We were um second and thirdgrade, so you know, we had about
500 students.
But it was it was good.
We supported students, wesupported teachers, and we were

(03:11):
just supporting the right work.
Alright, awesome.
And do you have any last wordsfor the Gale community?
Just make sure you you you wakeup every day um ready for any
changes that may come, ready todo the right work and not
looking at the why, but lookingat the more, just like they told
us in the session.
Absolutely.

(03:31):
It's all about the what the moreand not the why.
We we have to get it right forthe kids.
They they deserve it, and we arein positions to help make
change, so we need to make surewe are waking up every day to do
the right work.
Amen.
Amen.

SPEAKER_00 (03:45):
Um thank you for coming on our podcast, Mr.
Robinson.
All right.
Thank you.
You have a good thing.
Thank you.
Peace out.
Thank you.