Gainesville school board member recognized as advocate of children with disabilities

By AccessWDUN Staff

Posted 1:41PM on Friday, March 8, 2019

Sammy Smith, a veteran member of the Gainesville Board of Education, is a recipient of this year's Philip Wright Award and was honored along with other award winners at a ceremony in Cleveland recently sponsored by the North Georgia Learning Resources System.

Each year the Philip Wright Award recognizes individuals for their service, commitment, and advocacy of children with disabilities. The award honors the legacy of Philip Wright, a strong advocate committed to improving educational programs and services provided to students with disabilities in school systems within the Pioneer RESA region.

Smith, a member of the school board since 2008 and a 1970 graduate of Gainesville High School, is described in a news release from the Gainesville City School System as a strong advocate of programs that support students with special needs. Those programs include the Rehabilitation Institute of North Georgia (RING), Randy and Friends (a Christian-based ministry that advocates for individuals with disabilities), and the new Gainesville High School PAES (Practical Assessment Exploration System) Lab (an interactive, hands-on lab that teaches special needs students how to successfully adapt to the workplace environment).

"Mr. Smith is an avid supporter of all things [related] to Gainesville [City School System]," said Stacia Dillin, GHS Special Education Coordinator, "[He] will frequently drop by schools and eat lunch with the students and get to know teachers. He always makes a point to drop by our self-contained rooms to shake our students' hands and tell them 'hello'."

Mike Enright, GCSS Special Education Director, confirmed Smith's advocacy of the GCSS Special Education program and his dedication to lending his support whenever needed. "Mr. Smith is simply one of the best," Enright added.