National Blue Ribbon Schools Program

Murdock Elementary, home of the mustangs, is a neighborhood school set in Marietta, Georgia. We serve over 1000 students. We strive to empower our school community to learn, serve, and lead with integrity. Our success grows out of a shared commitment from our parents, students, and teachers. Our parents give their children and Murdock their time, talent, and treasure. We have developed a family culture in our community. Our students understand the value of education and come ready to learn. Our staff is highly educated and committed to all students reaching their full potential. It is the winning combination and partnership of families and staff that make Murdock a special place.

Our most notable strength/accomplishment is also our greatest challenge. Overall, we are a high performing school. This often means there is not a lot of room for growth. However, Murdock has been recognized by the state of Georgia for achieving the Platinum Award for Highest Performing schools as well as the Bronze Award for Greatest Gains.

"Research shows that effective teachers are the most important factor contributing to student achievement." (Hiring the Best Teachers, Educational Leadership, Volume 60, number 8, May 2003, pp. 48-52). With this in mind, we have made it our mission to empower our teachers to make the important decisions that truly impact learning. This empowerment has increased every teacher's concern, influence, and control over the academic environment at Murdock. This has resulted in higher performance for all and makes Murdock a remarkable place to learn, serve, and lead.