Adkins announces candidacy for superintendent of schools

To the citizens of Gilchrist County:

My name is Ronda Adkins, and I would like to take this opportunity to formally announce my candidacy for Gilchrist County Superintendent of Schools and humbly ask for your support. I am married to Terry Adkins and we have been a part of Gilchrist County for 30 years. I have five wonderful children who all attended school in Gilchrist County from Kindergarten to graduation, with one currently in eighth grade at Trenton Middle School. I also have five grandchildren who attend school at Trenton Elementary. With this being said, it becomes apparent that I have an invested interest in our school system. As an educator in this school system for the past 17 years, I have been witness to the great strength and flexibility of our teachers, the hard work and dedication of our children, the sacrifice and involvement of our parents, and the unfaltering support of our amazing community. It would be an honor and a privilege to lead our school system on to even greater successes.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo University in Elementary/Primary Education, and Master’s and Specialist degrees from Saint Leo University in Educational Leadership (K-12). In addition to these degrees, I also hold a valid Florida teacher certification not only in Elementary/Primary Education, but also in Educational Leadership. I have experience teaching children in various grade levels and with various needs, including Headstart, Pre-Kindergarten Special Needs, 3rd and 4th grade Varying Exceptionalities, Kindergarten, and 3rd grade. I am currently serving as the District Elementary Reading Coach.
However, education is meaningless without common sense and experience. My knowledge is not just academic; I have been in the classroom putting into practice every instructional strategy, every research-based method, and every educational concept that has come along. During the past two decades, I have seen both the areas that our school district is strong in, as well as the areas in which we can continue to improve. Like you, I have been proud when our schools have been rated top in the state, and I have been frustrated at times when I know we can do better. Our job as educators is to prepare students for a future that we can’t foresee. Our focus has to be not only on knowledge, but also on skill. We want our children to be able to succeed in college, get good jobs, and be successful adults.
As Superintendent, I want to be the type of leader that our incredible community deserves for its children. I want to involve those who are impacted by my decisions. I want to be a motivator and a person of influence. I want our teachers and staff to be driven and feel appreciated, I want our students to feel inspired and encouraged, and I want our community to be proud of the education that our children are receiving.
If elected, I will dedicate myself toward these goals, and other goals that are important to you. I want to hear from you! I have developed a survey that can be accessed on my Facebook page. Please take this opportunity to let me know how you feel about issues concerning our school system. I want to start becoming knowledgeable now about what your concerns are and how we can start addressing those. As always, thank you for your support of our school system.