Heards Ferry Cafeteria Manager Named School Professional of the Year

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- In back-to-back surprise ceremonies at their places of work, the Fulton County School System on Friday announced its top employees – the 2016 Teacher of the Year, Principal of the Year, School Professional of the Year and Support Professional of the Year.

Special recognition banners and other gifts of appreciation were presented to the honorees by their principal or supervisor, including Interim Superintendent Kenneth Zeff, who praised their dedication to the students of Fulton County Schools and their passion for education.

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“These remarkable educators have given so much of themselves to make sure every student can achieve and reach their goals," Zeff said during the Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year announcements. “Our support professionals often serve in the background, but their hard work and expertise help ensure our classrooms and our students have the resources to be successful.”

2016 Teacher of the Year – Meredith Tongue of Elkins Pointe Middle School

Meredith Tongue, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Elkins Pointe Middle School, has a strong belief system that guides her teaching – the belief that all students should be an equal partner in their own education.

“I believe that establishing personal relationships with students is as important as teaching them the content," Tongue said. "I believe that all students deserve respect, love and compassion regardless of their behavior and attitude toward school. I believe that the kids who need love the most ask for it in the most unloving ways. I think if all educators were to reframe their thinking about kids and the behaviors they exhibit as cries for help, we would be able to reach more at-risk students.”

Tongue also believes in creating challenge for students in her classroom while also providing them a safe place to fall and pick themselves up if they don’t succeed the first time.

“If you set expectations high, students will rise to the occasion, no matter what level the class is. Students need to be pushed outside of their comfort zone in small incremental steps to help them realize their own potential,” she says. “It’s important to show them that it’s OK to fail – it’s what you learn from it that is important.”

Principal Kindra Smith says that Tongue, who has been nominated as her school’s Teacher of the Year five times in the past five years, is the consummate professional and an excellent example for other educators.

“Mrs. Tongue is an amazing teacher, leader and role model. She exemplifies the true spirit of being a teacher and she works hard to ensure that every day her work empowers students to be successful,” says Smith. “In all of the years that I have served as a school leader, I have never seen teaching and learning delivered in such a highly engaged and deliberate manner, like I have in Mrs. Tongue’s class. When I am in her classroom, I don’t want to leave!”

Teacher of the Year nominees include:

• Central Learning Community – Celeste Archer, Riverwood International Charter School
• Northeast Learning Community – Ryann Doran, Northwood Elementary School
• Northwest Learning Community – Meredith Tongue, Elkins Pointe Middle School
• South Learning Community – Deanna Donald, Campbell Elementary School

2016 Principal of the Year – Alexandra Bates of Westlake High School

Westlake High School Principal Alexandra Bates had a humbling start in school when she was held back a grade in elementary school. But the feelings of self-doubt she felt only made her work harder to become a stronger student, and she uses that experience today to motivate others.

“Every year as a teacher, I began my school year by encouraging my students, saying ‘If I can fail the first grade and still make it to college and beyond, then you can too," she said. "Just because you failed once doesn’t mean you are a failure.' Now, as a principal I find myself telling this story over and over again to students who feel they have no hope. It is my responsibility to ensure that students are empowered, equipped and encouraged.”

Westlake staff members like Chantrise Sims Holliman recognize the intentional way Bates is building a positive climate and how it is improving student achievement and boosting morale.

“[When I first met her] my first thought was – this woman is serious about education,” said Holliman, a teacher and professional learning coach at Westlake. “Being a principal is a tough job and being the principal of Westlake High School is truly a difficult task, but one that Mrs. Bates has tackled in magnificent fashion. Her tenacity, creativity and humility have made her one of the most successful and impactful principals I’ve had in my 11 years at Westlake.

The positive environment that Bates has nurtured at Westlake also is noticeable to those at neighboring schools. Gullatt Elementary Principal Felipe Jackson says that it’s evident Bates has focused on “the customer experience” at Westlake.

“As a fellow principal this is clear every time I have had the pleasure to enter Westlake. I have observed the students and staff treat me and every other person with the highest level of respect and courtesy,” he says. “Many of us ‘steal’ ideas from the work she is doing at Westlake.”

Principal of the Year nominees were:

• Central Learning Community – Dr. Robert Shaw, Riverwood International Charter School
• Northeast Learning Community – Neil Pinnock, River Eves Elementary School
• Northwest Learning Community – Dr. Ed Spurka, Cambridge High School
• South Learning Community – Alexandra Bates, Westlake High School

2016 School Professional of the Year – William Reggie Sloan of Heards Ferry Elementary School

William Reggie Sloan – or ‘Chef Sloan’ as he’s known to the students and staff at Heards Ferry Elementary School – has a hunger and passion for his job that exceeds most, his supervisor Holly Thaw says.

As a cafeteria manager, Chef Sloan has a sometimes tough job – getting students to eat a healthy lunch. But the delicious school meals of today are nothing like what many parents and teachers remember growing up.

“He not only wants to make sure that Fulton County students are fed safe, nutritious meals, but that these meals are presented well and are of the highest quality,” Thaw says.

Chef Sloan also provides a positive experience for his students in the lunchroom and seeks out opportunities to engage students beyond the cafeteria, such as creating a school garden. He not only helps students understand what they’ve planted and its nutritional value but he also participates in the harvest and incorporates those foods into school meals.

Chef Sloan also serves as the school district’s chef, a newly developed position that provides guidance on planning meals that are tasty to students and healthy for their bodies while also meeting nutritional guidelines. In this role he helps plan the district’s menus and works with the School Nutrition Program to market them and increase student consumption of school meals.

School Professional of the Year nominees were:

• Central Learning Community – William Reggie Sloan, Heards Ferry Elementary School
• Northeast Learning Community – Walter Gauthia, River Eves Elementary School
• Northwest Learning Community – Suzanne Cockrel, Mountain Park Elementary School
• South Learning Community – Mary Elizabeth Nelson, Asa G. Hilliard Elementary School

2016 Support Professional of the Year – Edward Knox of South Maintenance

Ed Knox, a trades helper in the South Maintenance department, is the school system’s 2016 Support Professional of the Year. In his role, Knox assists mechanics in completing assigned tasks, often staying behind to finish a job after the work day had officially ended. Dennis Downs, who serves as assistant foreman of Maintenance Services, says that Knox’s work ethic has set him apart from others.

“Mr. Knox started working as our department custodian and would often help maintenance mechanics when they came into our carpenter shop. From there he advanced to a trades helper position,” says Downs. “Ed has become known as someone who will accomplish any task assigned to him, and this often makes him highly recruited for jobs that require attention to hard work. As his foreman, I’m glad Ed is part of my crew.”

His dedication to every job at hand also is noted by his South Maintenance coworker, James Brooks.

“Mr. Knox is always courteous and polite – even when it’s hard to be,” Brooks says. “He is a man of integrity who takes pride in work and ownership of it. He always puts the safety and wellbeing of the children first. If I had to say just one thing about Ed it would be that he is a good man and a better friend.”

Support Professional of the Year nominees:

• Administrative Center – Saadia Billingsley
• North Maintenance – Alan Rucker
• South Maintenance – Edward Knox
• Transportation Services – Angela Beasley
• Warehouse – Shawn Christian

Each year, each Fulton County school and administrative building is invited to nominate outstanding employees based on teacher, staff and parent input. These employees are then evaluated a second time through an application/essay review and interview, and one finalist is announced from each of Fulton’s geographic Learning Communities – Central, Northeast, Northwest and South. The Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year nominees also undergo a school visit to demonstrate their leadership and classroom skills.

A formal recognition gala, the Legacy of Excellence, will be held in the fall. This event will celebrate the accomplishments of these honorees as well as those of other employees of the year who were selected by their local school communities.

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Photo 1: William Reggie Sloan of Heards Ferry Elementary School was named the 2016 School Professional of the year
Photo 2: Meredith Tongue of Elkins Pointe Middle School was named the 2016 Teacher of the Year
Photo 3: Alexandra Bates of Westlake High School was named the 2016 Principal of the Year
Photo 4: Edward Knox of South Maintenance is the 2016 Support Professional of the Year.

Photo credits: Fulton County Schools