‘You were good for my soul.’ Muscogee principal thanks school and others for promotion
A Columbus school is expected to have a new principal when classes resume after the Christmas break.
During last month’s meeting, the Muscogee County School District board unanimously approved the recommendation from superintendent David Lewis to promote Georgetown Elementary School principal Michael Forte into a vacant position in the central office administration.
Starting on Jan. 3, Forte will be MCSD’s senior director of student services. He will succeed Kevin Scott, who retired July 1.
“Dr. Forte is a dedicated leader who has fostered positive relationships with students, staff, colleagues and the community at large,” Lewis told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email. “In addition, he has experience at all levels — elementary, middle and high — as well as organizational knowledge of our district’s programs, policies and procedures that have prepared him for success in this position.”
The meeting’s agenda provided the following background information about Forte:
He has been an educator for 25 years, all in MCSD. After teaching civics at Kendrick High School (1998-2000) and Georgia studies at East Columbus Magnet Academy (2000-05), he became assistant principal at Shaw High School in 2005, principal at Marshall Middle School in 2011, principal at Rothschild Middle School in 2013, principal at Early College Academy in 2017 and principal at Georgetown in 2019.
Forte earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida A&M University in 1989, a bachelor’s degree in education from Columbus State University in 1998, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Troy University in 2004 and specialist (2007) and doctoral (2009) degrees in educational leadership from Argosy University.
A seven-member selection committee interviewed four internal and one external candidate for the position, which reports to MCSD chief student services officer Angela Vickers-Ward, Lewis said.
Forte’s successor at Georgetown hasn’t been announced.
According to the latest MCSD salaries database the L-E has received, Forte was earning $121,278 as of November 2022 in the position of Georgetown principal. The salary range advertised for MCSD’s senior director of student services is from $110,350 to $121,286.
That position’s responsibilities include:
- Serving as the hearing officer for MCSD’s student discipline tribunal.
- Assisting in the development of administrative guidelines and policies for student support services, such as enrollment, registration, transfers and discipline.
- Assisting as Title IX investigator for maintaining compliance with policies and procedures.
- Collaborating with community social services, such as the Department of Family and Children Services, the Youth Detention Center and the juvenile courts, to identify and address student needs.
- Communicating with parents and guardians about issues related to their children.
- Coordinating activities of the school nursing and hospital homebound programs.
- Coordinating the student discipline process for legal compliance and ensuring the district’s objectives are supported.
- Directing student discipline guidelines and procedures through consistent communication with principals, teachers and other personnel so services are in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
- Mediating between parents and schools to find favorable outcomes for all parties.
- Supervising department personnel as needed or assigned for overseeing central registration services.
- Supervising the principal of the Marshall Student Success Center and overseeing its operation.
After the board’s vote, Forte thanked Lewis, Vickers-Ward and other colleagues, as well as family, friends and the board for their confidence in him and their support of him.
“Your vote requires that I, with a heightened sense of understanding, use my abilities, referring to accountability, accessibility and constructability,” he said. “I may emphasize constructability, introducing and building new concepts and protocols to strengthen and enhance the standard operating procedures of student services.”
Forte called Georgetown “the best assignment of my career.”
He recited what he tells the Georgetown family during the morning announcements: “We love you yesterday, we love you today, and we love you tomorrow.”
Now in his fifth year leading the school, “we have accomplished so much together,” he said. “We have created a nurturing environment, a loving culture.”
Among the accomplishments, he mentioned improvement in academics, behavior and finances.
“Any success that I experienced is a result of having a phenomenal faculty and staff,” he said. “… You are my family, and I truly appreciate you so much. A bond has been established that will never be severed by physical separation. You were good for my soul.”
