In behalf of Andalusia City School System I would like to use this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to our community for without the support of this community, ACS would not have had the chance to do the numerous things we accomplished during the 2022-23 school year. Our achievements are the result of community achievements and ACS will always be thankful for the incredible support of this community.
I’d like to share a few achievements in the last year that wouldn’t be possible without the help of the community. It is important to note that the Andalusia City Schools system operates with the motto: One Team, One Goal. In the last two years, we’ve made a number of changes to improve our school system. We have focused all three of our schools together as an unit.
The previous season, ACS received a state-wide report of 91. Although the staff and faculty have put in a lot of effort to get this score and this community deserves to be praised. We have seen a lot of involvement from our communities and it’s evident in this result. Our students understand that they are part of something greater than ACS due to our community’s participation. I’d like to express my gratitude to business owners, parents as well as other stakeholders for being part of this amazing accomplishment.
2022-2023 Andalusia High School football team also took home The AHSAA 4A State Championship. Most people know that it’s the first time that this’s occurred in more than 40 years. Absolutely I’m sure this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the community as well as our outstanding Band as well as football Booster Clubs. Many people came together to make this win possible, and our players felt that the community was behind them. They were able to win this title in the name of Andalusia and the legacy it left through and through the Andalusia city school system.
It was the Andalusia High School cheerleaders also took home their first AHSAA 4A State Championship in Gameday. The community as well as our Booster club supported the cheerleaders, which helped them achieve this remarkable target. This is the first time for an AHS cheerleaders to be crowned a state champion and I’d like to express my sincere thanks to the city of Andalusia as well as businesses and all other stakeholders for supporting ACS and recognizing its many achievements.
I also gathered the administrators and teachers to make up the Superintendent’s Leadership Team. They worked together throughout the summer as well as the school year to design the new and improved strategic plan for ACS. The plan entails collaboration with the community and our stakeholders to improve the quality of all three schools. These include STEM programs, academics as well as common assessments and classroom management, as well as student engagement as well as college and career preparation and helping our students become successful citizens of the world. We are looking forward engaging with community members to implement this new strategy.
I also want to acknowledge and thank the members of the board of directors from the Andalusia City School system. Amy Dugger, Sammy Glover, David Bryant, Dr. David McCalman and Dr. Parrish King.
They work for free and their devotion is yet another reason why ACS has accomplished numerous accomplishments over the years. The members have put a lot of their time and energy into this organization and have made numerous decisions to improve the quality of our schools in all facets.
Another important aspect that has contributed to the growth in the development of ACS can be found in an important aspect of the success that ACS has is Andalusia City Council as well as the Mayor Earl Johnson. The connection we have with the City of Andalusia is priceless and I am remiss if I did not express my sincere gratitude to each for all they provide for our students and our schools. Without their commitment and dedication to ACS the many opportunities that our students wouldn’t have access to. these opportunities are what makes ACS such a thriving school system.
In closing, I’d like to express my gratitude and appreciation my sincere gratitude to four of the teachers who left from ACS this season: Dianne Chavers (AES), Ann Pugh (AES), Denise Pearce (AJHS) as well as Anthony Mikel (AHS). The four teachers dedicated much of their time and energy to positively impacting all the students they encountered and contributed to the growth of the system throughout the years. They will be greatly missed however, I wish them the best in this next chapter in their lives.
We would like to say to our community, we would like to thank you for your continuous and unwavering support for our Andalusia City Schools system. Without your help, ACS would not be as it is today and wouldn’t be able to improve our school to be among the best performing schools across the state. I am grateful to you for giving me the opportunity to be your superintendent. Go Bulldogs! !
– Dr. Daniel Shakespeare is the director for Andalusia City Schools.
The article The ACS’s success is the community’s success was first published in The Andalusia Star-News.
