WELCOME BACK BULLDOGS: Dublin Schools Superintendent Dr. Fred Williams spoke at Thomasville City Schools' convocation on Monday morning, inspiring teachers to light the way forward. (Jill Holloway/The Thomasville Times-Enterprise)

THOMASVILLE — Thomasville City Schools welcomed teachers back on Monday morning with an inspiring speech from keynote speaker, Dr. Frederick C. Williams, Superintendent of Dublin City Schools.

Williams has served as the Superintendent of Dublin City Schools since 2015. Under his leadership, Dublin City Schools has achieved a record-high graduation rate of 95.5% and was named Georgia’s Charter System of the Year in 2019. As the first African-American Superintendent of Dublin City Schools, Williams has led with a strong focus on student achievement, literacy advancement, and innovative academic programs.

His commitment to students and faculty made him the ideal speaker to open Thomasville City Schools’ convocation, as they embrace the 2025/2026 school year.

Williams began by having those in attendance reflect on the mission and vision of the TCS Board and what it truly meant to “inspire the best problem-solvers, innovators, life-long learners, and productive citizens” of the community.

As teachers reflected, Williams recalled the teachers who played an integral role in his classroom experience.

“I think about Mrs. Dorothy J. Orr, my elementary school principal, and my favorite gentleman, who wore those old coaching shorts and those high wader socks back in the day, Coach Lewis Striggles,” Williams said.

Williams went on to specifically recall the moment he was a young boy, sitting criss-cross, looking up at Striggles and Orr and saying, “I want to be just like them.”

Just as Williams won’t forget his teachers, he reminded everyone that the students entering Thomasville City Schools on August 4th will not forget the educators who change their lives.

“I don’t know about you, but I never could’ve made it without them,” Williams said. “I’m so much better because of them.”

Recollecting on how his teachers set out with a vision in mind that forever changed his course, Williams asked what it would take for those in attendance to achieve Thomasville’s vision and mission.

“Thomasville and Dublin are so much alike,” Williams said. “We have a city and county school system, and the city school systems had a bad perception, but tough times don’t last always, but tough people do.”

Williams explained that the school system is like a ship, and with the right crew members, the ship can be chartered on its correct course.

“For the Thomasville Bulldogs to chart its course, you’re going to have to do hard better,” Williams said. “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but we must handle hard better.”

Williams noted a few exceptional students who have already embraced that mantra, showing slides of Rhealynn Mills and Chase Elliott, who handled hard better, and the Thomasville Bulldogs Soccer team, who came up short in the State Championship, but handled the challenge, determined to come back stronger.

In order to handle hard better, Williams said it will take continuous improvement, ongoing evaluation, belief in the process, and planning.

“Life’s challenges wouldn’t be called hurdles if there wasn’t a way over it,” he said.

He told the crowd not to try to go underneath the hurdles or monkey around them, but to light a path forward and inspire hope, while learning to jump.

“We have to go to the next play,” Williams said, referencing his days as an offensive lineman. “That play might not have turned out just right, but you fire off again, because tough times don’t last always, but tough Bulldogs do.”

However, Williams noted that no one can light a path forward without making sure the path at home is lit first. He encouraged everyone to take care of their family first and foremost, and always check on their co-workers, as the job can sometimes be overwhelming.

“Find out what’s going on in their life and encourage that person,” he said.

Most importantly, he reminded everyone to always let their windshield be larger than their rearview mirror, embracing the possibilities, instead of focusing on the past issues or potholes in the road.

“Thomasville City Schools, you can do it,” he cheered. “You can do this with the right mentality.”

Williams concluded by having everyone in attendance light up the room with their cellphone flashlight, as they lit the way forward for the school year.