Each day leading up to our first "Stars of Public Education" banquet to be held Thursday, April 27, at the USC Aiken Convocation Center we will be featuring a different Honor Court member from among this year's Giving Even More (GEM), Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year honorees.
The thumping bass and dancing teenagers set a festive scene in the Jackson Middle School cafeteria, with a smiling Jason Holt there right in the middle of them.
Holt, the school’s principal, had every reason to be happy. His students had earned the party having met a number of achievement-related goals. The party was just getting started, however, as District representatives surprised Holt by announcing that he had been selected as a member of this year’s Aiken County Public Schools Principal of the Year Honor Court.
Holt says he’s been thrilled with the level of buy-in he’s received from community members, his faculty and staff, and of course the school’s students, since he became principal. That support, and a new school culture, has gone a long way.
“We’ve been able to achieve National STEM Accreditation through AdvanEd, and have garnered outstanding results from school report card surveys taken from students, parents, and teachers,” Holt stated. “We have also seen academic growth as our science and ELA scores have been on an upward trend every year for the last three school years across different state assessments.”
When asked how he is able to balance his responsibilities as the school’s leader while also maintaining his managerial duties, Holt gives a simple answer – he does not do it alone.
“School management is a community and collaborative endeavor. Through the framework of distributed leadership, bringing people into to the process is the secret to a successful balance and continuous school improvement,” Holt explains. “The areas in and around Beech Island and Jackson have been instrumental in the success of the school community I serve and the people who serve it. As an organization, we must maintain focus, establish systems of support, and follow through with a deliberate monitoring process aimed at excellence. If you were to ask anyone who works with the school what the focus of the school centers around, the answers should be and would be the same.”
Much of that focus, especially in the school’s curriculum, centers around the use of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education in the classroom.
“Our focus has been on using STEM as a vehicle to increase literacy skills in middle-aged students, and it has been a tool to also bring together and distribute leadership,” Holt added. “Secondly, the systems that have been built around student and teacher support have also been instrumental in that we have established a true professional learning community. Third, our efforts to monitor and adjust through new programs have been key to be being able to manage school operations and maintain sustainability in leadership.”
Sidney Reeves, who has worked with Mr. Holt many times as a parent and as a member of the school advisory council, says Mr. Holt’s goal-oriented focus has endeared him to parents and community leaders.
“Jason Holt is the very definition of professional. I have encountered him in the school and outside of the school and he is the same guy all the time,” Reeves commented. “He is a role model for his students and he puts their academic success at the front of his goals. Mr. Holt is also supportive of his faculty and staff. He never takes credit for the school’s success, which he instead distributes equally among teachers, students, and support staff. As a former educator, I appreciate the environment he has created for all parties involved.”
Todd Etheredge, who serves as Mayor of the Town of Jackson, says Mr. Holt’s contributions have sparked a turnaround in the school that parents have appreciated.
“We have always taken great pride in our local schools and Jason has turned the attitude and work ethic of JMS around,” Etheredge stated. “The students, teachers, and staff at the school have all worked together as a team to make JMS one of the top STEM middle schools in the country. Parents in Aiken County have noticed the improvements and student enrollment has increased due to the hard work and dedication of Mr. Holt and his staff, respectively.”
Joy Shealy, Executive Director of Middle Schools for Aiken County Public Schools, says as positive as Mr. Holt’s presence is on campus at Jackson Middle School, his influence is also felt across Aiken County.
“Mr. Holt’s impact on student success goes beyond the walls of Jackson Middle,” Shealy commented. “He is well-respected and is often called on to provide guidance and support to other principals and district staff. His ability and willingness to collaborate with other educators and his interest in innovative practices have resulted in district-wide initiatives such as a level-specific discipline code and a master schedule that supports student ownership in learning.”