To the Community School of Davidson,
It is truly a distinct honor to introduce myself with the humility of being named incoming Executive Director of Community School of Davidson. It is an incredible opportunity to have been selected to serve the CSD Community in this role, to which I do not take for granted.
This decision has weighed heavily and was not made lightly, as there are very few schools I would ever consider leaving Lake Norman Charter for and the positions are even more limited; the Executive Director of CSD stands alone in that regard. I want to sincerely thank the CSD Board of Directors for trusting me with this opportunity and the vote of confidence by the stakeholders who were involved in the process. I would also like to thank Dr. Tom Miller and Lauren Watters from Leaders Building Leaders for their coordination throughout the process.
(Image created by @athlete_growth) |
CSD takes pride in the philosophy that “every student can and will succeed” and this philosophy is well-known within the education landscape in our region. After spending time with multiple stakeholders, in addition to my own previous awareness and experience through collaboration with CSD leadership, a clear commitment to balance the expectations of high academic achievement with the four priorities of The Basic School is evident.
My demonstrated dependability to the entire K-12 school community is how I will best support the CSD mission and philosophy, to allow those successfully established within the framework to continue developing the whole-child, while meeting the diverse needs of each individual student in an advancing, transformative world.
During the interview process, a student asked me, “How would you define success for a student?” It afforded me the opportunity to respond with the simple, yet significant mantra the folks at LNC have heard daily for years: “Be your best. Don’t worry about anyone else’s best…just focus on being the best version of yourself.” This is how I define success. It is what I expect from myself, as well as the faculty, staff, students, and families; I believe my mantra aligns directly with CSD’s philosophy, as well.
I will be sharing more about myself in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, you are welcome to connect with me through various social media channels, which can be accessed via my Linktr.ee.
I remain fully-committed to LNC for all of the end-of-year items that require my involvement to help ensure a successful closing and a smooth transition, which is very important to me both professionally and personally. Having said that, I cannot wait to officially join the established culture within the CSD Community with my “listening tour” soon. I look forward to building relationships with staff, students, and families to help continue your mission and purpose through character, leadership, and service.
I wish the entire Spartan Nation a successful conclusion to the school year filled with celebration and a sense of accomplishment.
Your humbled next Executive Director,
Craig S. Smith
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