COVINGTON, Ga. - Newton County School System continues to focus on enhancing school safety in the district and as such, will welcome retired Newtown Public Schools superintendent, Dr. Joseph Erardi on Nov. 14. Dr. Erardi will present “lessons learned” from the Sandy Hook tragedy at the school system’s half-day leadership meeting. All school system principals and district leadership staff will attend. That evening, NCSS will host a public meeting where Dr. Erardi will present, “Making a Difference With School Safety…Your Voice Matters!” All NCSS parents, employees, and community members are invited and encouraged to attend the free presentation at 7 p.m. at Newton High School.
On Dec. 14, 2012, 26 people—20 students and six adults—were shot and killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Dr. Erardi served as a school superintendent for 20 years and spent the last four years of his career leading the rebuild and recovery of the Newtown, Connecticut school district.
Dr. Erardi, who just completed a three-year tenure as an executive board member of the American Association of School Administrators, recently retired after 40 years of service to Connecticut children. He continues to make a difference in the lives of children by speaking across the country on school safety and consulting on best practice with security, social emotional learning, and positive climate and culture.
Dr. Erardi has been named as the Connecticut Superintendent of the Year, the Connecticut PTA Superintendent of the Year, and the outstanding Connecticut Administrator of the Year by both the University of Hartford and Central Connecticut State University. He remains active in education as an adjunct professor in the Connecticut State University System and by working with numerous boards of education as they look to hire their new superintendent.
“The safety of our schools, students, and staff, is a number one priority for us,” Samantha Fuhrey, NCSS superintendent, said. “We are happy to have Dr. Erardi visit us as we work to continually enhance our school safety efforts. I hope parents and guardians and any members of the Newton County community who are interested in learning how they can make a difference with school safety will join us for this very important presentation on the evening of November 14.”
