Armed with a belief that every student can succeed, Smyth County Schools Superintendent Dennis Carter, Ed.D., works to ensure that children thrive in school and in the community. A former special education classroom teacher, he witnessed first-hand the potential growth and development in every student. He also sees the barriers that students face, preventing them from reaching their full potential. Smyth County Schools are implementing programs to become a Resilience Driven Trauma-Informed Community as research is showing that too many children are exposed to trauma. With this focus, methods of healing can help children cope. Too often, overwhelmed children fail to cope, and the staggering outcomes appear in the costs of healthcare and imprisonment, in both monetary and human terms. Carter is excited about the focus on the root cause of societal issues. The changes made will impact the community, the children and future generations. “The momentum is growing and it is our charge to capture that momentum and make a difference…to impact lives.” A native of Rich Valley in Smyth County, Virginia, he is counting on the people in his community who always pull together in times of need. Carter states, “We know strong children grow to build strong families and strong families build strong communities.”

Carter obtained his undergraduate degree from Emory and Henry College in Interdisciplinary English, his special education certification requirements from the University of Virginia, his master’s degree from Radford University in Educational Leadership, and his doctorate from Virginia Tech in Educational Leadership and Policy Study.