Professional Staff Assistant (P.S.A.)

Andrea Downs

   Garden Springs Elementary is the school where my love for teaching and education began.  As a student here years ago, my teachers instilled in me a love of learning that I always wanted to pass on to others, which led me to my teaching career.  Teaching and working in schools for 8 years has allowed me to have an impact in the lives of many children, and as P.S.A., I have the ability to potentially touch the lives of many others including staff, students, and parents alike.

When I tell people about my new position, they often ask, “What is a P.S.A.?”  The acronym, P.S.A., stands for "Professional Staff Assistant." According to Fayette County Public Schools, the definition of this position is: "The P.S.A. assists the principal in one of two major ways: (1) work directly with teachers on “Best Practices” recognized and supported by research as being effective in improving academic achievement, especially for students identified as at-risk; or, (2) work directly for the principal on office/management tasks, such as discipline, parent concerns, curriculum alignment/development, and S.B.D.M. issues, so that the principal can devote time to work with teachers on the “Best Practices”.  So as you can see, it is a little of everything with the focus of improving the education for our children.

As I look ahead on the year, I look forward to meeting and working with you all.  We are very lucky to be a part of the long-standing tradition of such a wonderful school, Garden Springs Elementary.  The staff and parents I have met so far have been so very kind, generous, and welcoming.  Great things will happen this year because working together, we can ensure that the years our students spend at Garden Springs will be as rewarding as they were for me many years ago. 

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