SR449: SR449 Oatts, Dr. Terry O.; congratulate

25 LC 129 0380 Senate Resolution 449 By: Senators Anderson of the 43rd and Strickland of the 42nd A RESOLUTION Congratulating Dr. Terry O. Oatts upon his retirement from Rockdale County Public Schools1 after 31 overall years of service to public education, with the last 7 years as Superintendent;2 and for other purposes.3 WHEREAS, Dr. Terry O. Oatts served effectively as Superintenden t of Rockdale County4 Public Schools (RCPS) from May 30, 2018, to February 14, 2025, and5 WHEREAS, Dr. Oatts prioritized the safety and well-being of stu dents and staff by6 proactively implementing multilayered safety enhancement measures, including fortifying7 point of entry access to schools through the installation of safety vestibules and controlled8 access, increasing safety personnel throughout RCPS, negotiatin g the addition of School9 Resource Officers at RCPS High Schools, leveraging grant funds to upgrade the district's10 camera surveillance systems, adopting the first student clear b ook bag requirement in the11 state, implementing the EPIC Crisis Alert System, requiring a more expansive background12 check system for all adults who have specific access to students, and being the first district13 to acquire the state-of-the-art wireless OpenGate Weapons Detection System; and 14 WHEREAS, Dr. Oatts established continuous improvement as the centerpiece of Rockdale15 County Public Schools' strategic plan; and 16 S. R. 449 - 1 - 25 LC 129 0380 WHEREAS, as superintendent of Rockdale County Public Schools, D r. Oatts and RCPS17 have amassed many notable achievements, including but not limited to accelerated Advanced18 Placement (AP) achievement, a resurgence of students identified as AP Scholars, all three19 high schools being recognized as AP Honor Schools, a record number of Governor's Honors20 program (GHP) nominees and semifinalists, rising gifted student eligibility and enrollment,21 and most notably, increased graduation rates to its highest ever 88.75 percent; and 22 WHEREAS, RCPS has seen gains on state assessments and exceeded both the region and the23 state on multiple Georgia Milestones Assessments, including inc reases in career pathway24 enrollment, career pathway course offerings, career pathway com pletion, enrollment in25 Work-based learning and Youth Apprenticeship programs, and End-of-Pathway Assessment26 achievement; and27 WHEREAS, importantly, RCPS has seen steady gains in its CTAE Graduation Rate with the28 current rate being the highest ever at 99.5 percent; and29 WHEREAS, Dr. Oatts was previously commended for his pandemic leadership, and he has30 continued to demonstrate calm, consistent, and steady crisis ma nagement leadership as31 evidenced by his handling of the BioLab Fire that prompted environmental safety concerns;32 and 33 WHEREAS, Dr. Oatts was in constant communication with intergove rnmental partners34 conveying that RCPS stands ready to support first responders and law enforcement officials35 in addressing the BioLab crisis; and 36 WHEREAS, Dr. Oatts authorized the use of numerous buses to aid in the safe relocation of37 evacuees, dispatched the RCPS Transportation Fleet Director to be on call for any additional38 S. R. 449 - 2 - 25 LC 129 0380 transportation needs to assist evacuation efforts, offered to grant access to the county to any39 RCPS school facilities as a designated evacuation site at the request of the county, and made40 the decision to close schools and activate virtual learning for two weeks until the immediate41 environmental challenges abated; and42 WHEREAS, Dr. Oatts consistently engaged with various agencies a nd entities to afford43 RCPS students, staff, and families additional opportunities to access important resources, he44 took the lead in collaborating with Georgia Military College th at resulted in a satellite45 campus being established in Rockdale County enabling immediate access to higher46 educational opportunities for Rockdale County residents; and 47 WHEREAS, Dr. Oatts saw the need to afford students, staff, and families with accessible48 healthcare, he partnered with Kids-Docs-On-Wheels to ensure a w ide range of mobile49 medical units and prospective telehealth services were availabl e to deliver vaccinations,50 immunizations, physicals, specialized screenings, and other healthcare services; and 51 WHEREAS, Dr. Oatts is retiring after 31 years of continuous ser vice to communities all52 across the state of Georgia, in Candler County, Glynn County, G winnett County, Henry53 County, Fayette County, and Rockdale County as teacher-assistant, higher education teacher,54 school counselor, assistant principal, elementary principal, mi ddle school principal, high55 school principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent.56 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body57 congratulate Dr. Terry O. Oatts upon the grad occasion of his retirement and extend sincere58 best wishes for his future health and happiness.59 S. R. 449 - 3 - 25 LC 129 0380 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed60 to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Dr. Terry O. Oatts.61 S. R. 449 - 4 -