Cherokee Advisory Committee Meeting with Cherokee Schools Superintendent Brian Hightower
Dr. Brian V. Hightower is dedicated to “Educating the Emerging Generation” as Superintendent of Schools for the Cherokee County School District.
After 30 years of service as a teacher and administrator, Dr. Hightower took office as Superintendent of Schools on Feb. 1, 2016.
In his first two years as Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Hightower’s significant accomplishments include, but are not limited to:
• Achieving five more years of AdvancED accreditation as a Quality School System, the gold standard for international recognition of an educational institution;
• Earning the community’s strongest support ever for an Education SPLOST five-year renewal to fund construction, renovations, technology and capital purchases;
• Leading an image and identity rebranding campaign that won top honors in statewide competition to celebrate CCSD’s blue-ribbon reputation for excellence;
• Launching a new website for CCSD and new individual websites for all of its schools and centers to enhance stakeholder communications;
• Restructuring CCSD’s organization to provide enhanced service, support and guidance to critical educational and business enterprise operations;
• Updating more than 70 School Board Policies, as well as a realigning the Five-Year Strategic Plan and School Improvement Plans to better communicate goals; and,
• Launching innovations in teaching and learning including the Instructional Framework standards for teaching and assessment, Professional Learning Communities groups for teacher collaboration and the Canvas learning management system pilot.
Dr. Hightower is known for embracing both traditional teaching methods and the use of instructional technology, as evidenced by his recent completion, along with his senior staff, of Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) certification. Under his leadership, CCSD has become a National leader in achieving MIE educator and school certification, as well as a showcase district for both Microsoft and Apple to illustrate how technology enhances teaching and learning.
Dr. Hightower started his career with CCSD as a teacher at E.T. Booth Middle School. After nine years in the classroom, he served as an Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of School Operations, Assistant Superintendent of School Operations, and in 2013, advanced to Deputy Superintendent. The Cherokee County School Board in December 2015 unanimously approved Dr. Hightower as CCSD’s next Superintendent of Schools.
A 1983 graduate of Reinhardt College (A.A., Liberal Arts), Dr. Hightower continued his education at Kennesaw State University (B.S., Education, 7-12), North Georgia College & State University (M.Ed., Education, 7-12), Georgia State University (Ed.S., Education, 4-8) and Samford University (Ed.D., Educational Leadership).
Dr. Hightower’s past and present service to numerous community organizations and post-secondary institutions including membership on the following boards: Board of Directors for the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors for the Cherokee YMCA, President’s Advisory Council for Chattahoochee Technical College and President’s Advisory Council for Reinhardt University.
A member of the State Superintendent of School’s Superintendents Advisory Council, Dr. Hightower was named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2017 and 2016 “Who’s Who” in Education and as Reinhardt University’s 2016 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, and was presented the 2017 Outstanding Leadership in School/Community Relations Award by the Georgia School PR Association. Additionally, he was recently recognized as a Research Fellow/Contributing Superintendent to the Educational Research and Design Institute (ERDI).
He and his wife, Sue, are active in their church and have two grown children, Jonathan, a high school teacher and coach; and Stephanie, who works in missions and non-profit ventures.
