Memorandum from Mary Kay Murphy
Mary Kay Murphy, Ph.D. District 3  School Board Member marykaymurphy@aol.com

September 10, 2010

Leadership Opportunities for Norcross 
and Duluth

Students at Norcross High School and Duluth High School will soon have opportunities to prepare for leadership opportunities in the nation’s military service.

Duluth High School has a successful and well-established Junior Naval ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program that prepares young men and women for service to their community and possible later military service to their country.

Over the years, many outstanding Duluth High School students have participated in the JNROTC program and gone on to enroll in college and university ROTC programs and later service in the nation’s military.

Beginning in 2010, Norcross High School will become the only Junior Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program in Gwinnett County Public Schools—and one of only a few such programs in the nation to link middle school and high school leadership development programs to provide intensive teaching and mentoring to students.

In addition to beginning the Junior Army ROTC program at Norcross High School, Pinckneyville Middle School and Summerour Middle School will develop PROJECT PASS (Partnership for All Students’ Success) programs that will serve as feeder programs to Norcross initiative.

These innovative programs, sponsored by the National Association of State Boards of Education, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Department of Education, will provide opportunities for middle and high school students to position themselves as leaders in a globally competitive environment and serve as positions to safeguard our nation’s security.

Educators, business and community leaders, military leaders, and other major stakeholders are positioned to support leadership opportunities for our nation’s young men and women.

Goals of the JROTC programs and Project PASS include the following:

 * comprehensive post secondary planning;

 * drop-out prevention, intervention, and recovery;

  * application of what the UI.S. Army has learned from its high school JROTC
programs as broader tenants that can be complemented in a civilian context to    prevent obesity and dropouts;

  * improving student readiness for whatever the next life-stage step they choose      after high school;

  * early exploration around Army college scholarships that can be applied to address future teacher shortages.

According to the National Association of State Boards of Education, the intention of the innovative program is offer a pilot program that is hoped to produce measurable and positive outcomes in six school districts that combine middle and high school programs.

PROJECT PASS, the middle school component of the program, will include free educational programs offered by the Army, community backing, volunteer support, and Department of Education School Improvement Funds to provide intensive teaching and mentoring to students who participate in the program.

The program will address a number of student concerns, as well as academic rigor. Motivation and self-discipline will be key components of the program. Valuing each student and challenging them to succeed will strengthen their belief in themselves. Structure and routine, as well as mentoring and monitoring, will help students overcome negative behaviors outside the school and instill the skills and self-discipline needed to function in the workforce and life.

Rewards and recognition will demonstrate that contributions are valued, while accountability and consequences will provide an atmosphere of learning in safety.

Congratulations to Mr. James Lane, principal of Duluth High School, on the continuous success that the Duluth Junior Naval ROTC program demonstrates.

Congratulations, as well, to Mr. Jonathan Patterson, principal of Norcross High School; Ms. Wanda Yeargin, principal of Pinckneyville Middle School; and Ms. Dorothy Jarrett, principal of Summerour Middle School on their leadership in garnering the Junior Army ROTC Program and PROJECT PASS for their respective schools.

Many others worked behind the scenes to make these programs available to students in Norcross and Duluth. Thanks to these community leaders for their work on behalf of our community’s youth and their leadership opportunities in our nation’s military service and global outreach.

Archive