Katie Brochu

Before joining Whitfield County as superintendent in 2005, I served as superintendent in York School District One, South Carolina, and Sumter County Schools, Georgia, working with a range of students from those living in high poverty to those from more affluent communities. 

In Whitfield County, I began by engaging the leadership team in the Working on the Work philosophy of the Schlechty Center for Leadership in School Reform.  

I am a believer in student-centered learning and students as “customers” of education.  With the goal of introducing new ideas to a team focused on traditional methods, I organized leadership retreats and development opportunities for the staff and board of education, implemented numerous school improvement efforts, and incorporated minds-on learning into curricular and staff development efforts.

I also instituted a Leadership Academy for all staff members. I encourage anyone in our system to apply because I believe that everyone in our system can lead from where they are.  

I am a member of the Schlechty Center Superintendents Leadership Network and a graduate of the Governor’s School Leadership Institute. I have been honored with several awards, including 1997 Georgia Superintendent of the Year, 1998 Sumter County Business and Professional Woman of the Year, and 1998 Southwest Region Business and Professional Woman of the Year. In 1997 I was a finalist for National Superintendent of the Year.

I am a member of the Georgia State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care, the Design and Planning Teams of A Vision for Public Education in Georgia, the Georgia School Boards Association Superintendent Advisory Council, and the Georgia School Superintendent Association Superintendent of the Year Selection Committee.  I have published numerous papers, hosted a weekly talk show, and written monthly columns on education issues. 

I previously served as principal of Sumter County Elementary School, as curriculum and staff development director and assistant superintendent of Sumter County Schools, and as a teacher in McIntosh County Schools, Darien, Georgia and the Thomas County Schools in Thomasville, Georgia.

see a Case Study of Whitfield County Schools - Students as Customers of Learning