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Wes Taylor named
Lowndes High School |
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Former football coach and teacher William Wesley (Wes) Taylor was recently named Principal of the Year by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals. The award is presented annually by GASSP to the principal who has shown to “excel in educational leadership, resolving complex problems, developing self and others.” Taylor is principal of Lowndes High School where he has been the lead administrator for seven years. “Knowing a lot of high school principals in Georgia, I am certainly honored to have been selected,” says Taylor of the award. “I attribute this to the Lowndes High School team of staff, students and supportive parents as well as a supportive superintendent and school board.” |
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A native of Eastman, Georgia, Taylor graduated from Dodge County High School in 1980. He attended the University of Georgia where he received a Bachelor of Science in Education and later pursued his master’s degree at Georgia Southwestern State University. While at Georgia Southwestern, Taylor worked as a graduate assistant and instructor in addition to coaching football. He obtained his Education Specialist degree from Florida State University in 2000. His first high school position came in 1986 when Taylor was hired as a football and strength coach at Port St. Joe High School in Port St. Joe, Florida. Taylor remained in Florida until 2001 but moved into administrative roles as assistant principal and principal at PSJHS as well as serving three years as principal at Chipley High School in Chipley, Florida. Taylor returned to Georgia after accepting the job of principal of Lee County High School in Leesburg. While at LCHS, Taylor accomplished several goals which benefited the student body. During that time he was the recipient of the 2001-02 Georgia High School Association Region 1-AAAAA Sportsmanship Award. The following year he was named the GHSA Region 1-AAAAA President of the Georgia High School Association, which oversees state high school athletics. He has continued his affiliation with the GHSA, serving as Region 1-AAAAA Executive Committee Representative since 2005.
In 2003, Taylor took over the helm of Lowndes High School as principal. Since that time, he has implemented programs and initiated projects with the assistance of staff and faculty that have had impressive results. Under his leadership, Lowndes High was removed from the state’s Needs Improvement List in 2007 and achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2008-09. The average combined verbal and math SAT scores exceeded 1000 for the first time in school history. Scores for the GHSGT also dramatically improved with the percentage of students passing the science portion of the test increasing from 66 percent to 91 percent. One of Taylor’s most treasured accomplishments is the increased graduation rate of 13 percentage points over the past five years while reducing the dropout rate from 5.7 percent to 3.5 percent during the past four years. The innovative administrator attributes the two positives to hard work, a dedicated staff and a little ingenuity. “We try to maintain a strong sense of community on campus,” said Taylor. “One way we do that is through the VIP program.” VIP, or Vikings Improving Performance, is a mentoring program which pairs students with teachers. Twice-weekly meetings keep students and advisors in touch and up to date. “This gives every individual at least one significant adult in their life who knows them by name,” Taylor says. “We don’t want any student to be anonymous.” Taylor and his staff encourage every student to explore all options available through the school for extra-curricular activities. The principal believes students should find their niche, which provides a sense of belonging along with other benefits. “If they are involved, the more engaged they are and the better student they become,” he explains. Taylor and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of four daughters. His oldest two graduated from Lowndes High School and a third is a rising sophomore. The youngest daughter attends a local middle school. Having his own children pass through the halls of Lowndes as students is a fact not lost on Taylor. Laughing, he admits he has a vested interest in what goes on at the school, but he is quick to point out that, like his students, he has found his niche when it comes to his job. “After all this time – 19 years as a principal – I still have a passion for what I do,” says Taylor. “I still look forward to going to work every day.” As the recipient of the GASSP Principal of the Year award, Taylor will join principals from across the nation who will be in the running for national recognition. The winner will be announced in October in Washington, D.C. during the national association’s annual event. • | |
January 2012
Robert Preston Jr. 
Micki K Photography 
