August 11, 2025 -- From the moment more than 100 Columbus City Schools (CCS) teachers and administrators stepped through the doors of the Ron Clark Academy (RCA). The RCA Experience delivered far more than a typical professional development session; excitement met educators around every corner.
"This visit to Ron Clark Academy has reignited my belief in the fact that we're doing really good work [at CCS]," said South High School Principal Christy Nickerson. "Ron Clark and his teaching staff here are helping us gain strategies on how to break down barriers and lean into what our students need."
This summer, thanks to Huntington National Bank’s Ignite the Classroom initiative, CCS staff traveled to Atlanta for the Ron Clark Academy Experience. Staff exited large charter buses and stepped into a school with classrooms that resembled a theme park more than a traditional learning space.
Walking through the halls of the academy, music pulsed through the air as students performed with live bands, coming to class energized and ready to learn. Entering each classroom, vivid colors and bright murals stretched from the ceiling to the floor.
"Once we got here, it's even more exciting than we thought," said CCS Area Superintendent, Dr. Luther Johnson. "The fact that we're going in and seeing actual classrooms, instruction, the teachers working with students, is giving us ideas that we could take back and strengthen what we're already doing in Columbus City Schools with our whole child services."
Filling into packed classrooms, our CCS educators sat at desks similar to those our students use and took notes. They watched as the dedicated staff at Ron Clark Academy brought its unique philosophy to life.
"The group of us that went are planning on focusing on new tools and strategies learned while at RCA," said World Language Middle School Teacher Erin Ottobre. "Our overall goal is to continue to strengthen our climate and culture, while at the same time increasing our academic rigor and successes."
Teachers tailor every lesson to the highest achievers in the room by practicing "teaching from the top." Instead of slowing down for students who struggle, RCA pushes everyone to level up. Educators watched as students jumped in to solve complex math problems, coaching one another through each challenge.
"I saw a young man stand up, and you would think that he had the answer correct," Nickerson said. "But he was standing up and articulating what he did wrong, what his misconceptions were, and how he could fix his misconceptions in real time. There has to be a culture that has been established for students to feel that they can take that risk."
Promoting this excitement around learning are classrooms full of animatronics, costumes, and theatrical instruction. These theatrical props weren't distractions, but strategic tools to unlock student confidence and achievement. It was a school built not just for children, but for adults to rediscover why they teach in the first place.
"I cannot stress that in my 26 years of education, I have never been so excited to see young people taking roles of leadership and being engaged in class," Nickerson said.
Every classroom brought a new approach to help staff understand what it means to be an engaged teacher. In ELA (English Language Arts) classrooms, CCS staff witnessed how grammar instruction became dance moves and spelling tests transformed into baseball games. Physical activity wasn't a break from learning; it was the learning.
"I believe from an academic standpoint, you could see that times have changed," Dr. Johnson said. "The whole idea of teaching and the strategy that we use, which worked 20 years ago, no longer works now. So what do we do to engage our students in this age of TikTok, in this age of AI?"
Some of these practices CCS already believes in, one in particular being the education of the whole child. RCA equips students and encourages each one to pursue their dreams and become future leaders.
"Our young people are our future," Dr. Johnson said. "We have to continue to make sure that we are investing in them and giving them the energy and support that they need."
Once flights landed and our CCS educators returned to Columbus, they carried with them more than ideas. They returned with a mission and ways to "sprinkle magic" into their teaching and classrooms.
"With my students and their background, I can't wait to go back and tell them that there are other kids right in Atlanta, Georgia, from the same background doing exactly what we're asking you to do and being successful," Nickerson said. "If they can do it, you can do it. And I'm here to make sure that you're supported in that effort."
This summer's RCA Experience wasn't about copying another school's model. The experience was about transforming our model of learning. By investing in teachers, CCS is investing in confident students, dynamic classrooms, and future-ready leaders.
