Following his retirement from Aiken County Public Schools after the 2015-16 school year and 35 years spent in education as a band teacher and music director, with much of that time dedicated to students at Jackson Middle and Silver Bluff High schools, Randy Hood knew that he had a decision to make.
While his career in the classroom had ended, he hoped his contribution to education and the arts in Aiken County had not. Fortunately, the opportunity to impact a greater number of students and increase the District’s involvement and collaboration with Aiken County’s active arts community arose through a new position - that of Fine Arts Coordinator for Aiken County Public Schools.
With Mr. Hood serving as the District’s Fine Arts Coordinator Aiken County is leveraging his many years of experience to the best advantage of talented students and the greater Aiken community.
His new role would be largely that of a facilitator and communicator for fine arts educators from Ridge Spring and Wagener to North Augusta and all points in between. When students, parents, music/band teachers, or community members had questions or a concern, he would be there to hear them out and work to provide the clarity and direction needed.
“I thought we really needed this position for quite some time. Having been a band teacher and music director here in the county for many years, we didn’t really have a place that we could go to have those specific, arts-related questions answered,” Hood stated.
“That’s really how I see myself primarily in this position – as a communicator – because we have needed someone with that arts-specific knowledge to be that go-to person for our fine arts teachers here in Aiken County. Different people had responsibilities for different things in the fine arts world, and now those things are starting to come to me.”
In his new position, Mr. Hood will take the lead in fostering and strengthening community partnerships, such as the relationship the District has had for many years with the Aiken Performing Arts Group and Joye in Aiken (formerly Julliard in Aiken), while also working to elevate and enhance Aiken County’s summer acGateway program for gifted and talented fine arts students.
He says the feedback he has received from teachers throughout the first part of the school year following marching band season and a number of professional development sessions dedicated to core fine arts related subject matter have been extremely positive and encouraging.
“Our professional development opportunities were timely and dedicated to the work they do every day, and our teachers appreciated that opportunity and really engaged in those sessions.”
Taking an overview of the fine arts landscape in Aiken County, Mr. Hood says with the instructional talent and experience currently in place and continued support from District leadership in attracting the very best educators available, students who study and perform in the arts are well positioned for future success.
“In the year and some months that Dr. Alford has been with us, he has certainly distinguished himself as a person who strongly supports the arts, something I have really appreciated,” Hood commented. “We have some very talented and experienced educators in our District, but we also have some very exciting and talented young directors coming into the District, and I am hoping to be part of the effort to recruit top strings players, for example, and top vocalists, and just see the arts and music grow here. Our school district leadership has been very supportive of that effort and I am looking forward to doing everything I can to help all of our fine arts programs, our teachers and our students flourish.”
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LINK TO DISTRICT NEWS RELEASE: 2016 PR FINE ARTS COORDINATOR