Bethesda Hires Veteran Educator with State, National Credentials to Direct Admissions
(SAVANNAH, GA) Bethesda Academy has hired a director of admissions who is a veteran teacher with state and national credentials and nearly two decades in the classroom.
Tia Adkins joins the staff at the private college-preparatory day and boarding school for young men in grades six through 12.
Tia Adkins of Bethesda Academy
“Ms. Adkins brings a wealth of experience to this position, and we are delighted that experience ranges from classroom teaching to statewide remediation to work with national curriculum publishers,” said Michael Hughes, president of Bethesda. “Her leadership will be invaluable to the students we serve.”
Her education career began in Gadsden and Pooler elementary schools, where she became a finalist for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools’ teacher of the year and was named the 2006 Grammy Foundation Character Through the Arts national teacher of the year. She also served as the local school district’s literary specialist for two years.
At the state level, Adkins worked on a literacy project funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, she led teams of teachers at struggling schools who were working to find innovative ways to teach in challenging situations. As a mentor to other teachers, she taught how to implement Common Core curriculum elements and other strategies and worked often with low-achieving schools in remediation efforts.
She also spent six years with Scholastic Achievement Partners, now Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, as a manager of professional learning. Plus, she has worked as an independent contractor writing content for a new pre-kindergarten curriculum and is the author of the forthcoming book “Setting the Standards for Centers.”
Adkins earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education at Armstrong State College and has a master’s degree in education from Cambridge College in Boston.
“It’s exciting to open a new chapter in my education career, working with older, college-bound students,” Adkins said. “Bethesda Academy fills a unique niche in Savannah education, and I’m proud to be a part of an education program with centuries of experience in serving youth.”
ABOUT BETHESDA ACADEMY
Founded in 1740, Bethesda Academy is the oldest child-care institution in the United States. Now it is a private day and boarding school for young men in grades six through twelve and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The 650-acre campus features a variety of athletic teams, a wildlife management and organic farming program and college preparatory curriculum. Through its “Lead The Way” initiative, students have access to exclusive integrated learning and leadership opportunities. For more information, visit www.bethesdaacademy.org or call 912.644.4376.
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