Richard Bazemore

Richard L. Bazemore

Thomas G. Scott Elementary School
Monroe County Schools
Forsyth, Georgia
richard.bazemore@mcschools.org

In his role as principal of Thomas G. Scott Elementary School, Richard Bazemore subscribes to Donald McGannon’s view that “leadership is an action, not a position.” Throughout his 28-year career as an administrator, Bazemore has taken action to realize his mission to make T.G. Scott an environment where all 800 students “feel safe to take risks and participate in and out of the classroom.” Bazemore’s leadership has had district-wide impact; as a founding leader of the Monroe County Balanced Literacy Initiative, he has generated tools and resources that have directly improved literacy instruction. He has also led a school division and consolidation project, opening a brand new school where his leadership turned a “Needs Improvement” rating into Title I Rewards School recognition within one year, an honor reserved for the top 5 percent of Title I schools in the state. These robust gains in reading and math proficiency have continued through Bazemore’s implementation of Data Teams, a framework that has allowed all building leaders to act on shared goals through rigorous analysis and targeted strategy. This format led to first-year gains in almost all grades and subject areas district-wide. Bazemore holds an Ed.D. in Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University, an M.Ed. in Health and Physical Education from Georgia Southwestern University, and a B.S. in Business Administration from Georgia College and State University.