For 10 years, Dr. Jeff Langham has steered the Elmore County Board of Education toward growth and meeting the needs of families in one of the fastest growing counties in the country. But Langham recently accepted a position at the state level and will pass on the leadership role in Elmore County to Dr. Andre Harrison.
What has happened in Langham’s tenure, and what’s ahead for Harrison? We sat down with both of them to find out.
ECL: What do you think have been some of the most important milestones of the past 10 years?
Langham: Wow! Our school district has experienced several important milestones over the past 10 years. We have been able to address two critical areas: construction and curriculum.
In terms of construction, a key milestone has been the total of $45 million in back-to-back bond issues that have driven an aggressive building plan here in our district. These bond issues, coupled with other financing through the years, have allowed our district to remain ahead of the curve in providing safe and inviting facilities for our students. The opening of two new schools—Redland Elementary and Airport Road Intermediate—are also a source of pride for our district.
Additionally, we have achieved several key milestones in terms of student achievement, our chief responsibility here in the district. Our involvement early on with the A+ College Ready Program and the extraordinary results it has garnered in our Advanced Placement classes countywide has been particularly exciting.
It is also important to note that we expanded the Alabama Reading Initiative, Team Math, and AMSTI (Alabama Math Science & Technology Initiative) in our district to all elementary and high schools and have seen encouraging progress as a result. Aggressive technology expansion has been a key part of our work during the past 10 years.
Yet another milestone is that our district was the first in the River Region to seek District Accreditation, a process that has yielded immeasurable benefits over the years. I am especially proud of our revamped alternative education programs and what this will mean for our students in the coming years.
ECL: What do you think are some of the major things the Elmore County School System does better than other nearby systems?
Langham: From day one, Judy Caton, our district’s communication officer, and I determined that we would – no matter what and with good news/bad news – build a helpful and cooperative relationship with all of our media outlets. As a result, we have enjoyed a positive and fruitful relationship with the press. I never want to end up in a news article as being “not available for comment,” as that creates perceptions of a lack of transparency.
I think we have displayed a hunger for innovation – an eagerness to embrace new programs and opportunities to enhance the learning opportunities for our students. This has been especially on display with our major strides forward in terms of technology. Our technology department here in the district is respected statewide for its tireless efforts on behalf of nurturing 21st century learning for our students.
I am proud of the positive environment that we have fostered here. Our board members and I have been commended by our accrediting agency for our excellent working relationship. Throughout the district, we have worked to provide a sense of a positive climate and culture throughout our schools and communities and thus make the Elmore County School District a highly desirable place to be.
Through our strong financial management through the years, we have been able to weather multiple financial crises that have crippled other districts throughout the state. Even though proration has been a recurring financial visitor over the past 10 years, our school system has continued to move forward.
ECL: What unique perspectives, talents, programs, etc., are part of the local system?
Langham: When it comes to unique programs, our Energy Education is one of the first thoughts that pops into my mind. This creative and proactive program has helped our district save over $4 million dollars in the past few years.
Our Robotics Programs, under the masterful leadership of Dr. Virginia Vilardi, continues to astound us all with its remarkable accomplishments. Our students have gained recognition locally, statewide, regionally, nationally and even internationally.
As mentioned earlier, our AP Programs continue to promote excellence throughout our district.
I am so proud of our many partnerships, including our great work with Autauga County and Tallassee City systems and the Elmore County District Attorney’s Office in the Helping Families Initiative. This program has offered a lifeline to countless families over the years. Moreover, programs like HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) and SOAR have also provided help throughout our communities.
We have also been on the forefront of after-school programs through our award winning 21st Learning Centers that we have flourished throughout our district for the past several years.
We have had a thriving preschool program long before pre-K became “cool.”
I am thrilled that our long-time partnership with Central Alabama Community College is expanding to offer additional dual enrollment opportunities as well as night programs, which have been eagerly desired here in the county for the past several years.
Our expansion of our career tech programs is going to be the focus of much excitement in the months and years ahead.
ECL: What do you see in the system’s future?
Langham: In Elmore County, I will use the title of one of my favorite tunes, “We’ve Only Just Begun,” to describe the future here.
There will be exciting and continued expansion in our AP Programs. Stay tuned for further details regarding a “satellite campus” of Central Alabama Community College here in our district for the convenience and accessibility of our students. I am so proud of the great work currently done in our middle schools, and we are going to continue to bolster opportunities for our students during these critical years of their educational journeys. Watch for exciting new development out of our Career Tech programs, as well as new linkages with programs like HeadStart here in the county. While the items I mentioned here are by no means comprehensive, please know that here in Elmore County, the best is yet to come!
ECL: What are some of the major challenges that lie ahead for the school system?
Langham: Bottom line, funding remains a major issue. Unfortunately, this is a double edged sword, because many people do not want to hear of a need to generate additional revenue through taxes or other means, and yet something must be done if we are to have a sustainable future here for our schools countywide.
Even though we have made major strides in terms of facilities here, there are still major needs to be addressed, particularly in terms of many of our aging athletic facilities.
Technology expansion is always a concern with new developments occurring at lightning speed and our ability to meet these demands in a responsible way on behalf of our students.
Finding the best way to nurture and sustain partnerships for economic development always remains a challenge for us as a school district.
The pool of available teachers, particularly science and math teachers, continues to grow smaller. We must find ways to find, maintain and nurture our current and prospective teachers.
