Speaker, educator and activist Jason Etheridge, also is known as Mr. E, recently spoke at Walker Middle School to help prepare the kids for the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test.
Using humor, Etheridge presented the message that each child should do their best on the upcoming test. Etheridge told the students it was their responsibility to be prepared for the test and that they should always strive to succeed.  
He also told the educators it was their jobs to find ways to motivate each child to be the best student that they could be both in and out of the classroom. Etheridge stressed the importance of parental input in the education process to help children achieve peak performances.  
In addition to humor, Etheridge interjected stories, music and dance in his high-energy presentation.
According to WMS instructional coordinator Debbie Wingate, Etheridge presents his message throughout the country to elementary, middle and high schools. She was glad that he was able to talk to the Long County middle-schoolers. She said that he told the kids to find their starting line, overcome their obstacles and fight for success.
The CRCT is conducted yearly as a requirement under the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. It is a standardized test created by Georgia educators that meets the federal requirements of the law.
The CRCT covers math, social studies, language arts, reading and science. It is given to students between first and eighth grades.  
WMS has met or exceeded the standards of the testing and has been recognized as a Distinguished Title 1 school for the last seven years.