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Dr. Debbie Alexander
CSRA RESA Executive Director |
Debbie’s professional experience includes teaching and school administration as an elementary, middle, and high school principal in Richmond County Schools. In addition, Debbie has served as Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction and as Lead Transformation Specialist at the Georgia Department of Education.
Debbie is currently a member of the Get Georgia Reading Statewide Campaign Cabinet and was instrumental in establishing Get Augusta Reading, GGR Community Campaign. Dr. Alexander is married and has one daughter who lives in Long Beach, California. Debbie is a native of Aiken County, SC, and is a resident of Augusta, GA.
Debbie is passionate about grade-level reading and building the capacity of leaders to support school improvement and student achievement.
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
I’ve always said that if you can read well, write well and do basic mathematics, there is nothing you cannot learn and achieve. But as an educator, I know that many of our students do not read well, write well, or have a command of basic mathematics. So what do we do when our responsibilities include so much and students come to us with so many needs. The truth is we have an obligation to students to address these deficits. Making things better for kids takes people with the skills, persistence and experience to work together to find solutions. If we are committed to supporting students to be college and career ready and to at least have a better quality of life, we have to do something.
Where do we start?
We start with taking an approach that all children need access to language. For the very young, the message is simple, “talk, sing and read” to your baby. Every child deserves a strong start with caring adults who spend time talking, singing and reading to them. Encouraging parents to take advantage of quality-rated daycares, preschools, especially Georgia’s PreK by age four. These advantages will make way for K-3 teachers to provide foundational reading and numeracy skills so that students leave each grade on or above grade level or using a multi-tiered system of supports to meet the needs of students who are not achieving on grade level and addressing other barriers to learning or wrap around service needs.
Beyond grade three, our responsibilities move from learning to read to reading to learn or using mathematics to solve problems and find solutions. Supporting students begins with building relationships so that we recognize their needs.
Debbie Alexander
Executive Director
