Board of Directors

Ms. Len Patton
President-Elect

Len Patton began her career as an educator in 1982 as a mathematics teacher at Fayette County Junior High School in Fayetteville. As a Fayette County native, she felt fortunate to be able to return as a teacher to the school system. Fayette County School System soon began to make the transition from the junior high school model to that of middle schools. The middle school philosophy was of great interest to her, and as she began her graduate studies she focused on learning as much as possible about the middle grades child and the most effective curriculum and methodology for them. In 1990, Mrs. Patton was named Assistant Principal/Instructional Lead Teacher at Fayette Middle School. She served in that position for twelve years while helping to establish programs that addressed specific needs of students. In 2002, Mrs. Patton was named principal at Rising Starr Middle School. The school had already earned a Pay for Performance Grant for 2000-2001 and was working toward a second one for 2001-2002. Rising Starr was granted the second Pay for Performance award and was awarded a third one for 2002-2003. Rising Starr’s selection as a Georgia Lighthouse School to Watch in 2003 and re-designation in 2006 have brought on new challenges and rewards for Mrs. Patton and the staff at Rising Starr as they continue their school improvement journey.

As the mother of four children, Mrs. Patton has learned volumes about the needs of children through her experiences in guiding them through the middle school years. Skills learned as a parent and as a middle school teacher have enabled her to communicate effectively with others regarding the particular needs of children at this crucial stage of development.

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