FIS Principal sees 2021 as designated “Turn-around” year

(Editor’s Note: The following was submitted by Mancell Elam, Fulton Independent Schools’ Principal)

Is it really 2021? Sometimes it still feels like we are stuck in 2020. Let’s call 2021 the year of the turnaround.

The definition of turnaround is an abrupt or unexpected change, especially one that results in a more favorable situation. Let’s turn all the negatives we had to endure in 2020 into some positives in 2021.

Think about some of the things we dealt with in 2020. We had disruptions in our education process due to the pandemic, we had civil unrest across the nation, we had discord in minority communities with law enforcement and we had all forms of racism raise their ugly heads in all aspects of life.

This is only to name a few of the dysfunctions of 2020.

The beautiful things that were mentioned in the previous sentence is that if we all respond to the turnaround in unity, with everyone being of one accord, there can be an abrupt change immediately.

Does that mean that all the negative or bad things that exist will go away? Of course not. The opposite of unity is disunity. Disunity is fostered by inequality, injustice, and distrust between one individual and another. On a national or local scale, the stability of community is wavering.

It’s wavering because we make it about ourselves instead of looking out for all created beings. We all must be mindful of where most societal, political, economic, territorial, and religious divides occur within a community; it can be attributed to a lack of unity. Unity is the only thing that will bring us closer as a community.

Unity will allow everyone involved to come together and acknowledged that we have issues, and the only way we can address those issues is coming together to do our part as a community.
I have watched Tom Brady win his seventh championship ring. He is known as the GOAT (greatest of all times) of NFL quarterbacks. The truth is even the best player in his sport needs the team to come together as a unit, to continue building his resume as the GOAT.

Every successful organization has to work as a unit to be the best it can be. Unity is what it will take to ensure all of our students are reaching proficiency. Our students deserve our effort to work as a community in unity.

Remember the scripture: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!

This is the year of the turnaround, one in which we will be working together in unity.

Bulldog Family, we’ve got this!