Local school principal calls for change in weekend speech

A local school principal made a case for change in Grady County to improve not only local schools but also the community and world.
Tilda Brimm, principal of Washington Middle School, was the keynote speaker at Saturday night’s third annual scholarship banquet hosted by the Dr. M.L. King Jr. Collaborative of Grady County.
The event was held at the Grady County Agri-Center.
During her remarks Saturday night, Ms. Brimm called on Grady countians to unify and reestablish their focus on education.
“In order for our community to compete, to grow, to thrive, we must be ready to change and unity is the key. We must come together as one people,” she said.
She called for a blueprint for Grady County that would address the crime rate, teen pregnancy, homelessness and school dropout rates.
Describing education as the cornerstone for community growth and development, Ms. Brimm voiced support for the construction of new schools like that being done in surrounding counties, rather than continuing to remodel and renovate old schools. She said the community demands cutting edge technology in the public schools, and she said that old facilities hold back such efforts.
Brimm also asked why the school system should not unify.
“Instead of Washington Tigers, Whigham Indians, and Shiver Bulldogs, why can’t we pool together and have one single Grady County school that stands for unity in every way?” Ms. Brimm asked.
The middle school principal also called for all of the principals of the county’s six other schools to unite behind School Superintendent Dr. Kermit Gilliard and “his vision to make our school system great in every way.”
“Change education in a community and we will be part of changing citizens in our world,” she stated.
The only way for change to occur, Brimm said, is for community leaders to have a clear vision.
“We must push for a rebirth and a unified Grady County, where traditions are still big, but we can compete in a global word where things are constantly evolving,” she concluded.
Tilda Brimm, principal of WMS and a Cairo native, is a graduate of Cairo High School, Valdosta State University, Albany State University and Nova Southeastern University. Brimm began her teaching career at MacIntyre Middle School in Thomasville as a sixth grade language arts teacher. She also taught at WMS as a 7th and 8th grade English teacher. Later, she became an assistant principal at CHS, then at WMS. She was named WMS principal in 2013.