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PRINCIPAL WINNER

For nearly three decades, Dr. Patricia Dixon has been improving education and helping students do their very best. She began as a teacher in Montgomery, Alabama and over the years, worked her way up to become a school principal. When you meet Dr. Dixon, you quickly see that she has a special spark – a love for children and for helping them succeed at the highest levels. No where is that more obvious than at Dillard Elementary, where she took the school from the “D” grade it received from the State Department of Education to it’s current grade of “A.”

Dr. Dixon’s energy and passion for education is contagious – just ask anyone on her staff or any parent who has met her. She has spearheaded numerous grants, community partnerships and parental involvement programs that have helped Dillard Elementary climb the achievement ladder. She worked hard helping land a $200,000 grant to fully fund new, creative innovations including upgrading the school’s technology, instituting Learning Communities and incorporating intensive family programs. One such program is Families and Schools Together (FAST). This is a comprehensive 10-week program that focuses on building a strong bond between school and home – more than 50 families have graduated so far.

Dr. Dixon also turned her attention to changing the attitudes and behaviors of her students, revamping the school’s discipline procedures. Under the new plan, a comprehensive policy was created that included incentives that reward students for positive behavior. Just how successful was this, you ask? Well, during the 2001/02 school year, Dillard Elementary recorded more than 1,000 office referrals – that number has now shrunk to a mere 15 so far this school year. Now that’s a sign that the school leader is guiding students and staff in the right direction.

Dr. Dixon’s relentless drive and determination in having her students achieve academically, socially and culturally is proof positive of her total commitment to education. Spend a few moments with Dr. Dixon and it is clear that she has one motto: Keep the children first in everything you do. The sign on the school’s marquee reads: “Dillard Elementary is a School of Excellence.” Under Dr. Dixon’s leadership, those words have never been more true – she is an excellent school leader and truly deserving of the 2004 Principal ACCLAIM Award.