Bartow Schools Superintendent Announces Retirement

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- After several years leading the Bartow County School System, Superintendent Dr. John Harper is setting his sights on another way to serve the community. Harper, who has held the post for nearly 10 years, announced he will retire next summer.

Harper made the announcement at the end of the Bartow County School Board's Sept. 25 meeting. School board members offered to extend Harper's contract, but the long-time educator felt it was his time to step aside and allow for new leadership to take the helm. His last day on the job will be June 30, 2018.

“Personally, and professionally, I am leaving something I truly love to do – make a difference for children," he said. "New leadership will bring new ideas and a new vision on how to serve the children of Bartow County."

Harper, who began his tenure in 2008, leaves behind a "legacy of technological innovations," the school system notes (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

He spends five days a week at the Bartow County College and Career Academy, which was created to offer students a hands-on approach to learning about various industries. Harper was also responsible for integrating the system's 1-1 Conversion, an initiative where the system put a laptop in the hands of every student in grades 4 through 12, with the hope of expanding that opportunity to third graders.

"My all-time greatest accomplishment would be focusing on children and how we could better prepare them for their world and maintaining consistent leadership," Harper added.

Harper, an Adairsville resident, got his start as a classroom teacher and assistant principal at the secondary level in South Carolina. From there, worked his way up to serve as principal at the middle school level and served as an elementary school principal before moving into the superintendent role. He obtained his bachelor's degree at Baptist College in South Carolina, his specialist degree at The Citadel and completed his doctorate in curriculum and instruction at the University of South Carolina.

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For Bartow County Schools Chief Academic Officer Kimberly Fraker, working under Harper means you're not just an employee, but part of his "larger educational family."

“He always makes a point to cultivate relationships," Fraker added.

While he has not ironed out the next chapter in his life, Harper said he is confident "God will choose his next assignment."

“I will miss the excitement of watching our educators grow into the outstanding leaders they have become, knowing that I contributed to their growth," he added.

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