Dr. Sherrod Willaford

Dr. Sherrod D. Willaford, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, is a transformational leader with over 25 years of service to public education. From the classroom to the district office, he has served in a variety of environments (urban, suburban, and rural) and at every level of K-12 schooling (elementary, middle, high, and central administration). Dr. Willaford earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Middle Grades Education from Clark Atlanta University and then earned a Master’s degree from the State University of West Georgia in Administration and Supervision. He received his Educational Doctorate degree in School Improvement from the University of West Georgia. Additionally, Dr. Willaford has received professional certificates from the College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, VA), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement (Roanoke, VA), and Howard University’s School of Education (Washington D.C.). In 2016, Dr. Willaford graduated from the inaugural cohort of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Urban Superintendents Academy.

Dr. Willaford is a change agent – an esteemed, data-driven, visionary, and collaborative educational leader committed to teaching and learning with a focus on sustainable results. Dr. Willaford served as the Principal of the Dooly County K-8 Academy (2020-2022) prior to his promotion to Executive Director of Operations, and then title change to Assistant Superintendent of Schools. As Principal of the K8, he led the elementary and middle schools to being removed from the Comprehensive Support and Improvement list of low performing schools – Georgia’s bottom 5%. He also led the elementary school to an “emerging” designation from the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) for implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Under Dr. Willaford’s leadership the Dooly County K8 Academy was deemed a “high-flying” school by the National Youth Advocacy and Resiliency (NYAR) conference and a “model” school by the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE). As Executive Director of Operations, Dr. Willaford has helped facilitate upgrades to the athletic facilities and other capital outlay projects throughout the Dooly County School System.

Before coming to Dooly, Dr. Willaford served in multitude of educational leadership roles, to include, but were not limited to, principal at the elementary and secondary levels, and executive director responsible for school turnaround and improvement. During his tenure in the Randolph County School System, at Randolph-Clay Middle School, student performance increased significantly on the Georgia Milestones Assessments and “RC” was deemed “operational” by the GaDOE for PBIS implementation. As the interim principal at North Springs Charter High School, Fulton County School District, the school was named an Advanced Placement Honor School for student test results on STEM Advanced Placement (AP) tests, Humanities, and Access & Support for African American and Hispanic students. Before that, as Executive Director of Schools, he designed and led the Norfolk City Public Schools’ Office of School Turnaround and Improvement. For two consecutive years his portfolio of assigned schools experienced double-digit gains on state assessments and accreditation status for the district’s lowest performing schools positively increased. Likewise, during his tenure as an

elementary turnaround principal in Rockdale County, at CJ Hicks Elementary, student achievement significantly improved, despite challenges faced by a growing economically disadvantaged enrollment. Furthermore, under his leadership, CJ Hicks was named an American Association of School Counselors (ASCA) model school, was recognized by the National Youth At-Risk Conference as a High Flying School and was heralded for achieving the superintendent’s “highest aspirations” and “defying the norm” awards. Moreover, the school met adequate yearly progress (AYP) and was deemed an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP) candidate school and a Title I Distinguished school over several consecutive years.

As the body of work indicates, Dr. Willaford is an established and highly trained school improvement specialist and educational leader. He has been nationally certified to mentor new and aspiring school leaders. He has served as a leadership coach for Columbia University Teachers College in their Summer Principal’s Academy and as a professorial lecturer for The George Washington University.

Dr. Willaford is a continuous lead learner, who participates as a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Association of American School Administrators (AASA), Georgia School Superintendent Association, Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). Dr. Willaford is also an active member of the Clark Atlanta University Alumni Association (Middle Georgia Chapter), Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Gamma Sigma Lambda Chapter), and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia (Purity Lodge 93).

In his spare time, Dr. Willaford enjoys attending sporting events, movies, and listening to music. He is married and has two children.