Bertha Sutton is principal of Monte Sano Elementary School in Augusta. In her 27 years in education, Dr. Sutton has learned that students who feel good about themselves and about school are less likely to drop out. This knowledge led to major changes in the education program at Monte Sano in 1985, when the school was awarded an innovation grant from Georgia Department of Education. The school's program for "teaching the whole child" uses validated instructional projects in reading, writing, mathematics and self-understanding. Teachers choose projects most suited to their students' needs and their own teaching styles. In the first two years, the program significantly improved below-average student achievement scores.
