Board to Begin Appointment Process for New Member
After 35 years living in Dalton, including a career in education and most recently, serving as a member of the Dalton Board of Education, Palmer Griffin and his wife, Laura, will be leaving the area to live closer to family. At Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, he announced his resignation from the board effective May 31st.
In announcing his decision, Griffin called Dalton “a wonderful place to be an educator” and “home for 35 years.” He summed up the reason for the move in one word: “family.” Griffin has been elected twice to serve on the Dalton Board of Education, first elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021.
Griffin served as a classroom teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent of operations during his long career in education. As a board member, he has helped set district direction regarding literacy and other student achievement initiatives, supported improvements to the teacher pay scale, and helped oversee various facility upgrades, including the construction of Hammond Creek Middle School and the opening of The Dalton Academy.
“I enjoy working alongside all of the members of our governance team as we are focused on the students in Dalton Public Schools. I have confidence in the leadership of our district … [which] is on a good trajectory in student achievement and student and staff support.”
Board Chair Matt Evans called Griffin a “friend, leader, and a true champion for public education and for all students.” In his comments after Griffin’s announcement, Evans stated that “serving alongside Palmer has been a blessing. His presence, insights, and advocacy made this Board and this school district better. His primary constituency has been our students from Day 1 and that has never changed. Our community will miss him, but we are better because of him.”
Superintendent Tim Scott said, “Mr. Griffin has been a great board member! With his educational background, he has been able to help our team review all aspects of educating the students of our district. I am thankful to have had an opportunity to work with such a great leader. I am thankful for his service!”
The Board will begin the process of replacing Griffin immediately. Once named, the new board member will serve the remainder of Griffin’s term which ends December 30, 2025. A Board member must currently live within the city limits of Dalton and have done so for at least 12 months. They must be eligible to vote and agree to abide by the Board Member Code of Ethics and Board Member Conflict of Interest policies
Anyone interested in being considered for appointment to the Dalton Board of Education should email a letter of interest to BOEmember@dalton.k12.ga.us. (UPDATE: As of May 31, 2023 at 4:30 PM this inbox has been closed). The board hopes to name a replacement sometime before the start of school in August.