TCSS SUMMIT
Hundreds of educators in the Tuscaloosa County School System united Aug. 1 to unofficially kick off the 2024-25 school year.
The school system hosted its 2024 summit at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport. The event brought TCSS faculty and staff to begin the school year in a positive way, while also focusing on education and empowerment.
TCSS Superintendent Keri Johnson said the event is an opportunity for all of the system's educators to connect.
"It's important to do all of this together because we're a family, we're a community and we want to learn and grow together," Johnson said.
Day one of the two-day event included a rally, guest speakers and professional development workshops where attendees chose from over 300 training sessions. Steve Bollar, known as "Stand Tall Steve," served as the event's keynote speaker.
Shanel Lightfoot, a teacher at Hillcrest High School, said she was delighted to see everyone come together.
"I'm so excited because this is the time of the year where all of the amazing educators come under one roof to learn about the best practices in the classroom," Lightfoot said.
Andrea Hamner, principal of Huntington Place Elementary, said the summit is an excellent way to kick off the new school year.
"It's just a great time for our staff to all learn from each other and get challenged and also motivated for the upcoming year," Hamner said.
The system serves more than 19,000 students across 35 schools in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. The TCSS employs around 2,400 faculty and staff members.
According to its website, TCSS is the ninth-largest school district in Alabama.