What’s Right With Our Schools: Feagin Mill Middle School receives Georgia Lighthouse Achievement

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- Feagin Mill Middle School lights the path for its students by teaching them how to learn, grow and foster effective relationships.

The school recently became one of 20 schools across that nation, and the only in Middle Georgia, considered a Georgia Lighthouse School to Watch.

“Being a Lighthouse School means that we are schools to watch, and people are going to be coming to our school to see what we do here,” says 8th grade Teacher Jennifer Dawson.

Under the Nation Forum to Accelerate Middle Grade Reform, Feagin Mill Middle met the requirements other schools in middle Georgia were lacking.

According to the organization’s standards, school must achieve or display: academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity and have above average organizational structures and processes.

The Assistant Principal of Discipline, Dr. Art Billings, says his school guides the path for others.

“We’re working very hard to stay on the cutting edge of what’s new and keeping our students fresh, so they [students] too can be successful in life,” says Billings.

After the tough application process, leaders knew they had a chance to become one of the schools to win the award.

Dawson adds, “The things that we didn’t do, we’ve started implementing those things.”

By December, teachers like Kristy Yarbrough heard a committee from the national organization had some good news to share with the students and teachers.

“I think the people came in.they came to walk into every classroom, and they saw teachers teaching. They saw students engaged and learning. They saw learning at its best,” says Yarbrough.

“It sets an expectation for our counties, first and foremost,” Billings adds, “It also sets an expectation for the surrounding schools to look and to see the number of middle schools we have here in Houston County, as well as throughout the state and say wow, what are some things that they’re doing?”

Casting out underachievement and bringing the standard of academic excellence higher as the years go by.

“We do great things here at Feagin Mill, and we just want the rest of the world to be able to see that, and lighthouse gives us that,” says Dawson.

A school with a light so bright it draws other in its direction.