New DMS principal outlines plans to Rotarians

“There’s no place like home.”

Brandi McGee Smith told Demopolis Rotarians Wednesday of her delight to back in her hometown now that she is principal at Demopolis Middle School.

Smith was the first Demopolis educator to speak in a series focusing on the Demopolis City Schools system. The new principal determined from the outset not to start changing things drastically.

“I didn’t see a lot of big issues I needed to change,” Smith said. “I’m find the purpose behind why we’re doing everything,” she said.

Her second focus is to reward positive behavior, not necessarily tied to academics. When students are caught doing good, they will be given a reward card to hook on their backpacks. They will be eligible to get something from the school store with those cards or they might be rewarded with gift certificates.

The third focus is to join Demopolis High and become a part of The Hope Institute program. Founded by Birmingham attorney Liz Huntley, the Hope Institute builds a culture of character.

Smith also challenged the Rotary Club members to help with another project. Many of her students need an extra positive adult role model. She is looking for mentors to help guide them.

Parents get readily involved when it comes to athletics, she explained, but there often is a disconnect when it comes to academics. Many of her students live with only one parent or are being raised by a grandparent who is even more removed from the problems students face. That’s another reason for recruiting mentors.

In his introduction of Smith, DCS Supt. Tony Willis said one of the challenges Smith thought she might face in her new job is that several of the teachers at the school might be significantly older than she or might have even taught her. So far that hasn’t been a problem.

Willis said Smith told him, “Most people think a middle school principal needs to be an ex-football coach. Honestly, I think a certain amount of testosterone is needed for this job, and I have it.”

Smith holds a B.S. in Elementary Education, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration and an E.D. in Instructional Leadership from the University of West Alabama.

She has been a sixth-grade science teacher in Tuscaloosa and assistant principal in Blount County before returning to Demopolis.