Dickson County Schools Launches Districtwide ‘Leader in Me’ Initiative

Dickson, TN — Dickson County Schools is moving forward with a new districtwide initiative aimed at developing leadership skills and strengthening school culture among students and staff.

The Dickson County Board of Education approved the ‘Leader in Me’ program during its July 23, 2026 meeting.

Administrators described the program as part of a broader effort to establish a consistent culture throughout Dickson County Schools and said additional information about how the program will be implemented would be presented to the board soon.

Districtwide Approach to School Culture

The initiative is expected to extend across Dickson County Schools rather than being limited to a single campus.

During the meeting, the program was presented as a districtwide culture initiative designed to establish common expectations and approaches throughout the school system.

The board approved moving forward after a competitive process that resulted in three bids.

More Details Expected

The July meeting represented the beginning of the process rather than the full rollout of the initiative.

Later in the meeting, Director of Schools Dr. Christie Southerland said the district would provide the board with additional information about the ‘Leader in Me’ timeline.

Administrators were expected to return with more details at a later meeting.

Part of Broader District Goals

The ‘Leader in Me’ initiative comes as Dickson County Schools is placing increased attention on districtwide goals, school performance and organizational culture.

During her director's report, Southerland discussed several efforts underway as the district prepared for the 2026-27 school year.

Administrators were participating in an expanded four day administrator camp, and principals were expected to identify in the fall how their schools would work toward district goals.

Those principals will then return in the spring to present the results of that work.

The district is also continuing to analyze student achievement data and compare its results with successful school systems as administrators look for strategies that could improve academic performance.

The Leader in Me initiative will become another component of those broader efforts during the upcoming school year.

Rollout Begins in 2026-27

For students, parents and teachers, the most immediate question is what ‘Leader in Me’ will look like inside Dickson County schools.

The July 23 meeting established that the initiative is moving forward, but administrators indicated the details were still being developed.