The Principal is charged with the overall operation of the school.  I accept this responsibility with pride, enthusiasm and
a high degree of seriousness.  I operate on the premise that Harriet Tubman Elementary School will become a school of
excellence.  Each of us can contribute something toward making this happen.  It will require some changes in attitudes
and thinking, a lot of hard team work, pride in what we are doing, and a sincere desire to make positive things happen.

Our school carries an American legacy handed down from Harriet Tubman.  Born a slave in Bucktown, Maryland, Harriet
Tubman grew up to become the most famous leader of the underground railroad.  During the 1850's, she helped
approximately 300 slaves to freedom, always avoiding capture for herself and her fellow runaways.  After the Civil War,
Tubman helped raise money for Black schools, and was surely struck by the conviction that education brings its own
freedom.  This conviction is shared by the faculty at Tubman Elementary today.  Outside the building hangs a plaque
bearing a quotation from its famous namesake which reads, "When I found that I had crossed that line, I looked at my
hands to see if I were the same person.  There was such a glory over everything.  There's two things I've got a right to-
death or liberty."  Today these words become a powerful metaphor for the right to education, and the freedom found
therein.

Tubman's mission statement reads, "We will teach children and they will learn.  We will take
them as far as they will go, and they will meet their potential.  We will create a caring,
learning environment, and our children will be motivated to become responsible citizens in
their community."  In line with Fulton County's vision of high expectations for children,
Tubman affirms not that children can or may learn, but that they WILL learn.

Where Kids Come First