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Principal

George Smith

With great enthusiasm I introduce myself as Principal of Billy Mitchell’s namesake, Mitchell High School.  I am honored to have the opportunity to lead a school that is rich both in pride and tradition.  I am humbled by the privilege to positively influence the students, staff, and community; all of whom deserve a first-rate instructional environment and educational experience.  I am excited about the potential that we have as a community, to achieve our individual and collective aspirations.  I am certain this achievement can be realized by cultivating a school-wide culture of trust; adopting a shared vision that guides and inspires our work; and putting into practice distributive leadership which best utilizes the diverse talents, skills, and passions of all stakeholders. 

I was born on Fort Carson in 1979, and have called Colorado Springs home my entire life.  Both of my parents served in the United States Army, which is what brought them and our family to the area.  After earning my Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology from the University of Northern Colorado in 2002, I obtained my Master of Arts in Education/Administration and Supervision in 2005 from the University of Phoenix.  My partner Emily and I are parents to three amazing children whose ages are six, five, and three years.  I consider my personal family to be part of my extended Marauder family. 

I entered the public education field in 2002, and for nineteen years have diligently strived for excellence as a professional entrusted with our nation’s most precious resource:  our children.  I have teaching, mentoring, coaching, and administrative experience ranging from middle school to high school level.  I bring to the Mitchell community thirteen years of administrative and leadership experience.  Although I have extensive experience in the areas of building management; safety; security; student discipline; and supervision, I pride myself and especially enjoy the challenges and rigors of instructional leadership.  I understand that for a leader to excel, they must be surrounded with colleagues who are equally able.  The leader must have support of community members as well.  Because of this reality, my hope is that together we nurture that professional sense of cooperation and partnership, to help grow our students and one another. 

I support and promote the core values as outlined in the Colorado Springs School District 11 Strategic Plan.  At Mitchell High School, we dare to empower the whole student to profoundly impact our world.  I am committed to ensuring a safe, structured, and orderly learning environment which enables educators to develop and deliver quality instruction; educates students to accept ownership of their learning, and immerse themselves in it; results in high levels of student growth and achievement, the natural outcomes of a fertile learning environment.  I welcome stakeholder involvement that is collaborative in nature; growth-oriented; solutions based; and which leads to open and honest communication focused on desired outcomes.  I am confident that where excellence is the standard, and high accountability is embedded in the school’s culture; teaching and learning are fun and high achievement is an organic result. 

Our namesake was a man of great ability who accepted nothing but excellence from himself and his subordinates.  He was dubbed father of the Air Force for a good reason; he realized how air power would be critical to the evolution of our country’s armed forces and military prowess.  Colonel Mitchell was successful in achieving the creation of the Air Force in despite of the naysayers and a court martial.  His voice would not be quelled, and he never backed down.  Colonel Mitchell is a towering role model for us to emulate as we strive together to elevate our school, and surpass every standard by which it is measured; failure is not an option. 

The teacher, Anne Sullivan said, “You can’t touch love, but you can feel the sweetness that it pours into everything.”  Her pupil, Helen Keller stated, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”  Our journey must be fueled by love, ultimately making the taste of success that much sweeter.  Our relationships must be rooted in trust, as this will provide stable stepping stones as we navigate our course.  I look forward to partnering with you, and am eager to strive alongside each one of you.  Go Marauders!