About

Mr. Shirley is a 1990 Graduate of the University of Georgia, where he received a BSEd in Mathematics. He taught high school math ranging from General Math to AP Calculus for ten years. During this time, he was a Head Football, Tennis, and Track Coach.

In 2000, Mr. Shirley completed his MEd in Leadership at the State University of West Georgia. He was nominated as the Phi Delta Kappa Top Leadership candidate during his program work. During his MEd coursework, he assisted the Leadership Department of SUWG as a Graduate Research Assistant, concentrating on difficult parents and difficult situations.

Since 2000, Mr. Shirley has worked as a local school Assistant Principal, District Athletic Director, Alternative School Principal, District Director of Safety and Security, Chief Operations Officer, and is currently the Chief of Student Support Services. He oversees Safety, Discipline, PBIS, and Student Services for the Forsyth County School System. Mr. Shirley has received National recognition for his leadership in School Safety and has spoken to school leaders across the United States about school safety and mental health, including multiple RTM Conferences.

In April of 2019, the Forsyth County School System Department of Operations was one of four Georgia systems selected for excellence in School Safety by the Georgia Association of Education Leaders (GAEL) and were highlighted presenters at the summer 2019 conference as well as the Spring 2024 Georgia School Superintendents Association conference.