Mrs. Jackson has humbly served in education for 20 years and even had the honor of teaching at her high school alma mater eleven of those years.  Born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she developed a respect and love for learning from her dad, who served in World War II and her mother, who was an avid reader.  Mrs. Jackson graduated from Salem College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and a Master of Arts in Teaching.  It was not until she was blessed to meet and marry her husband that she moved to Florida four years ago.  Then in 2019, Mrs. Jackson was thrilled to be given the opportunity to join the outstanding team of teachers, students, staff, and administrators at Freeport Middle School.  As a 7^th grade ELA teacher, she brings a wealth of educational experience, hard-work ethic, and professionalism to the classroom.  

-Teaching is not what I do…it’s who I am-

Antonio Harrison is proud to be part of the WCSD family. 

Antonio is a veteran teacher with more than a decade of experience teaching in Alabama and Florida. He is joining us for his first year at Walton High School as an ESE teacher and football coach.  Coach Harrison is a graduate of the University of Alabama and holds and MBA from the Auburn University System.

The invention of Alexander Miles’ elevator doors dramatically improved safety for passengers. Early elevators were different from the mostly automated devices we’re familiar with today.  Passengers in any elevator in the late 1880s and early 1900s had to manually open and close doors including the doors leading to the actual elevator shaft.  If the door was accidentally left open, other passengers could fall down the shaft when expecting to step into the elevator.  Alexander Miles invented a device that triggered the shaft doors to open and close along with the elevator doors, which made the elevator ride much safer.  Although rarely connected with this invention, we can all agree Miles’ ingenuity and foresight plays an integral part of our 21^st Century world.  In fact, the elevators we use currently still feature automatic shaft doors similar to the invention Miles Patented in 1887!

Miles’ exact birthplace and birthdate are unknown, but he was living in Duluth, Minnesota when he came up with his famous invention.  For more history and African American collections, and preserved culture visit the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at www.nypl.org.

Walton Middle School AVID students had the unique opportunity to visit Emerald Coast Technical College last week.  While there, students received hands-on opportunities to experience the array of programs the local college offers.  By visiting nursing, 3D printing, cosmetology, pharmacy tech, automotive, welding, and construction classrooms, among others, students' eyes were opened to the vast range of career opportunities they can one day train for right here in Walton County.  Instructors emphasized the importance of a dedicated work ethic and professionalism while learning to pave the path to future success.  The WMS AVID program graciously thanks ECTC for opening their doors to plant the seeds of future homegrown success for our students.