CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. — Students in several Georgia counties head back to school Wednesday. In Camden County, it's also the first day for their new superintendent.
A few points first for parents to remember as the school year starts: you can track your child's school bus with the the app called “Here Comes the Bus," school breakfasts are free and the Camden County superintendent of schools wants to hear from you.
"You feel the pressure of knowing that things have to be better because it's home," said Superintendent Dr. Tracolya Green.
Possibly the best way to describe why Green says she's committed to her new job is this story from a recent meeting.
"I turn around and at the door, I notice Miss Kathy and Miss Kathy still works with the district," Green said. "She was my bus driver."
Green says the moment took her back into memories of being on the school bus.
"Her protection, how she took care of me," Green said. "The significance of having caring adults in your life, too. Now, I'm leading the people who cared for me."
Green grew up in poverty in Tarboro, Georgia and graduated from Camden County High School. She now aims to help more children do the same.
"I feel like there's a great opportunity to know that not only will I be making Camden County schools better, but I'll be making Camden County better," she said. "I'll be making my home better and not just for a whole bunch of strangers, but for the people that I love, the people who I grew up with, my classmates, former colleagues and my family."
Green helped bring Andrew Jackson High School in Duval County from a 'D' to a 'B' school as the principal and raise the graduation rate to the highest in the school's history.
Most recently, Green was the assistant superintendent for Glynn County Schools. As the school year begins, she hopes her own story can teach a lesson about committing to your goals.
"If you're persistent, then you can have a great life," she said.
There are 28 open positions from teaching to administration across the county's 12 schools. Learn more about them here.