After 33 years with Etowah County Schools, Superintendent Dr. Alan Cosby is finishing his final week with the district before retiring Aug. 1, closing a career that began in the classroom and culminated in 16 years as the system’s superintendent.
Cosby, whose mother and grandmother were both educators in Etowah County, began his career with the district in 1993 as a seventh- and eighth-grade math teacher at Rainbow Middle School. After seven years in the classroom, he became assistant principal at Rainbow Middle before later serving as principal.
He later transferred to Southside High School as principal before being named superintendent, a position he has held for the past 16 years.
Cosby earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Jacksonville State University, a master’s degree in education from the University of Alabama, an educational specialist degree in administration from Jacksonville State and a doctorate from the University of Alabama.
As retirement approaches, Cosby said he feels ready for the next chapter, though leaving education after a lifetime in schools feels unfamiliar.
“Education is all I’ve ever known,” Cosby said. “My mother was an educator, my grandmother was an educator, so school or something about school is all I’ve known for my entire life.”
While he described retirement as “uncharted waters,” Cosby said he is looking forward to new opportunities.
“I’m looking forward to what’s next, and I’m looking forward to a little more flexibility,” he said. “I’m eager to do some things that maybe I haven’t had as much time to do but also pursuing some new challenges as well.”
Although retiring from Etowah County Schools, Cosby said he is not leaving education entirely. He will join Jacksonville State University, working with President Dr. Don C. Killingsworth Jr. to promote and expand the university’s presence, primarily in Etowah County and surrounding areas.
Looking back on his tenure, Cosby said one of his proudest accomplishments is the district’s financial stability.
When he became superintendent in 2010, the system was recovering from several years of state proration.
“By law, each school system is supposed to have one month’s operating expenses in the bank, and we were able to achieve that somewhere around 2011-2012,” Cosby said.
Since then, the district has grown its operating reserve to more than 3.5 months of expenses, placing Etowah County Schools in what Cosby described as its strongest fiscal position ever.
He also pointed to the construction of new schools and facilities, the addition of air conditioning in all middle and high school gyms and the recent approval of LED lighting upgrades for football stadiums across the district.
Academically, Cosby said he is especially proud of the district earning its first A on the state’s report card.
“You know, academically, we’re sound,” he said. “We’re sound because we have good teachers day in and day out doing the hard work.”
He said the achievement reflected the dedication of employees across the district.
“We want to always improve,” he said, “but getting that A was a reflection of the good things that we do.”
Cosby also said he is proud the district prepares graduates not only for college but also for careers and the workforce.
“I think our students are getting the skills they need daily, and that’s our mission,” he said.
Among other accomplishments, Cosby highlighted the district’s success meeting the standards of Alabama’s literacy and numeracy initiatives and expanding prekindergarten opportunities. He said he hopes those efforts continue until every family that wants pre-K has access.
Despite those accomplishments, Cosby was quick to credit others.
“Our school board and everyone associated with the system has been outstanding to work with over the years,” he said. “The accomplishments of Etowah County Schools have not been because of me but because of a collective effort.”
When asked about the greatest challenge of his career, Cosby pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which began disrupting schools in March 2020 and continued affecting operations into 2022.
“It was challenging because you want to focus on educating children but at the same time you’re dealing with a myriad of other issues health-wise and sometimes perception-wise,” Cosby said. “Everyone was trying to do the best they could with the information they had, but almost every decision could be interpreted as the wrong one.”
The experience, he said, reinforced the value of patience in leadership.
“I’ve learned that it’s okay to slow down sometimes; it’s okay to not have all the answers,” Cosby said. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes over the years, but I think those mistakes have hopefully guided me into making better decisions the next time.”
He added that he and the Board of Education always sought to make decisions they believed were in the best interests of students and staff.
Cosby also reflected on the many mentors who influenced his career and expressed gratitude for the support of his wife, Jeannie, and their sons, Johnson and Hayes.
“It’s been a blessing,” he said.
As he prepares to leave the district where his family has deep roots, Cosby said serving Etowah County Schools has been the greatest honor of his career.
“Being able to work in the school system where my mother taught, where my grandmother taught … if I could have written a script when I started my career, I couldn’t have written a better one.”
