Friday, December 14, 2001
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Friday, December 14, 2001 |
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Associate Superintendent Winston Dowdell to retire Veteran educator Winston Dowdell will retire Dec. 19 as Coweta County's associate superintendent of schools. The Board of Education honored Dowdell for his 38 years of service at its Dec. 11 meeting, both by their words, and by renaming the Fairmount School of Opportunity as the Winston Dowdell Academy. Fairmount Principal Sylvia Hooker thanked Dowdell for his leadership and encouragement. Supt. Richard Brooks thanked Dowdell for his service and his friendship. "He has made me a better person. I'm thankful for his friendship," he said. Dowdell is a native of Opelika, Ala., and earned his B.S. degree from Alabama State University. He came to Coweta County in 1968 with four years of teaching experience in Catoosa County and then Carroll County schools. His first job in Coweta was as a teacher at Grantville Brown School, and then at Moreland Elementary School. In 1974, as he completed an advanced degree at West Georgia College and was certified in administration and supervision, he became an assistant principal at Newnan High School under Principal Holmes Cunningham. Dowdell went on to serve as principal of Fairmount and Eastside elementary schools. He moved to central office administration as assistant superintendent for student support and special services in 1989, and rose to associate superintendent in 1994, as Richard Brooks assumed the superintendency. Dowdell also leads an active civic life, and currently serves as a steward of the Greater Mt. Zion Church and on the board of directors for the Newnan-Coweta Boys and Girls Club and the Bank of Coweta, and is a member of the 100 Black Men of West Georgia. He has also been board chairman of the Chattahoochee-Flint Regional Development Commission, a board member of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce, the University of West Georgia Newnan Center, the Rutledge Center, the Coweta Clean and Beautiful Commission, the County Fire Commission, and as a United Way trustee. His professional memberships include the Professional Associaion of Georgia Educators, Phi Delta Kappa and the Georgia School Superintendent's Association. Just as he misses teaching at times, he will also miss his work at Jackson Street, Dowdell said. "I've enjoyed working with a wonderful group of folks ... principals and teachers, parents and students, and everyone in the central office," he said. "I enjoy what I do. I hope somewhere along the line I've made a difference in the lives of others." Dowdell has known Supt. Richard Brooks since both worked as assistant principals at Newnan High School and then as assistant superintendents together. "I've had an excellent opportunity in working with Richard. He is a super person, not only professionally but also as an individual. He's been an invaluable leader." Dowdell has seen significant change in the school system since arriving in Coweta County in 1968. "I've seen constant improvement in 34 years in our test scores and our facilities. Our teachers, too, are better and better prepared to meet the challenges of a classroom," he said. "I believe we're definitely heading in the right direction," he added. Even though schools have improved in Coweta County over the years, Dowdell said there's still room for more improvement, not only in the classroom, but with parental involvement and civic and business involvement in the school system. "I think churches can take a greater role, too," he said. His advice to his successor or anyone coming to the school system is to stay focused on the core missions of the school and school system. "Every decision we make has to be judged by how it impacts students. We need to always make sure we're providing the best learning opportunity we can for students, so when they go into the world they can compete and succeed in an increasingly competitive world." Dowdell said his immediate plans upon retirement involve maintaining his civic roles, traveling, fishing and golfing. Mostly, though, he looks forward to spending more time with family, including his wife, the former Verneda Aldridge, his daughter and son-in-law, and his two grandchildren, Kamran and Karston.
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