Lindsay Bowley, supervisor of recruitment for the Cherokee County School District in Georgia, says, “My specialist degree in educational leadership from Berry College is part of my story to move into a supervisory role.”
After earning a teaching degree with concentrations in language arts, social studies and reading, Bowley taught middle school in the Cherokee County School District for eight years then moved into the role of academic facilitator. She focused on in-house professional development of teachers and coaching. The time seemed right to move into educational leadership, and Bowley enrolled at Berry in 2016.
Courses connected to practice prepared her for supervisory positions. “Berry made sure we understood the nuances of school law and evaluation in-depth,” Bowley explains. “School law drives hirings and firings. We were assigned real-world scenarios which we had to resolve through school law. Though my job is recruiting, it’s important to understand hiring and firing. I learned how to evaluate teachers and train principals.”
She adds, “Learning about facilities and budgeting was huge. I must understand funding sources and manage multiple funding streams. Title II funding affects professional development, recruitment and retention. Retention is the new recruitment. It’s important to understand why teachers come and stay.”
Beyond academics, Bowley says the professors’ commitment to working professionals stood out. “The cool thing — why this is special in my heart — I was part of a cohort that went through 18 months together. … I had my baby in the middle of the leadership program. They allowed me to do the work early. Dr. Davis Nelson, the program director, made sure I was on track. I was not a student on campus, but they took the same level of care as they do for students on campus.”
When Bowley’s school district created the new position of recruitment coordinator, she received professional guidance through her education program at Berry. “You get one-on-one coaching throughout,” she says, noting the ongoing attention from Davis Nelson and Monica Willingham, director of accreditation and technology. “You get a career coach who meets with you and guides you. Mine had a similar story. She talked me through the job opportunity.”
Bowley moved into her current position in 2018 and recruits a variety of personnel — teachers, school bus drivers, psychologists, speech and language therapists and data analysts. Driven by what she observed early in her career, Bowley says, “There’s value in having good teachers who are energized and motivated. It takes commitment. … You may be the only functional adult that student has contact with. You have the opportunity to pour into the life of a student. It’s a huge opportunity. I believe in putting caring, passionate adults in front of kids. I understand the gravity of building relationships.”
