Pollard Second to Hold Distinguished Honor in Fayette

A meeting location mix up with the school system’s superintendent brings one elementary school principal to tears.

Tyrone Elementary Principal Eddie Pollard arrived on time at the Board of Education yesterday for a scheduled meeting with School Superintendent Dr. Jeff Bearden only to discover that the superintendent was actually waiting for him at his school. Pollard immediately headed back to Tyrone preparing to apologize for the mix up, but little did he know he was about to get one of the biggest highlights of his career.

As Pollard rounded the corner of the cafeteria where Dr. Bearden was waiting, he was surprised by the cheers and claps of the school’s students, staff, parents, and fellow principals, all who had come for the official announcement that he is Georgia’s 2011 National Distinguished Principal.

Hal Beaver, executive director of the Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals (GAESP), delivered the news along with Pollard’s parents and son who were also in on the surprise. Following words of praise from the superintendent, Pollard was asked to make an impromptu speech.

“One thing I have learned in all of my years as a principal is that you always have to be ready to deliver a speech,” he said jokingly as he tried to hold back tears of joy. “You are only as good as the people you work with. You all are wonderful; I’m honored to be your principal.”

Pollard was nominated and selected by his fellow principals through a statewide search process conducted by the GAESP. Every state, the District of Columbia, plus private and overseas schools select one principal each year for the national honor that is sponsored by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the U.S. Department of Education.

Selection criteria requires that the honorees are active principals of schools where programs are designed to meet the academic and social needs of all students, and where there are firmly established community ties with parents and local business organizations.

Pollard is the second elementary school principal from Fayette to ever receive the national honor. Jeanie Miller, retired principal of Cleveland Elementary, was the county’s first recipient in 2008.

Pollard has served as principal of Tyrone Elementary since July 1, 1999. He began working in Fayette in 1987 as the principal of North Fayette Elementary. He has also been principal of Braelinn Elementary and Flat Rock Middle. During his years as an administrator, six out of nine of his assistant principals have become principals, and he has lead two schools to be recognized as “Georgia Schools of Excellence.”

He currently sits on the GAESP Board of Directors as the Federal Relations representative. Pollard has also served as the organization’s District Four Director, District President, District President-Elect, and District Legislative Chairperson.

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State Names Distinguished Schools

A total of eight of Fayette’s elementary and middle schools have been named Title 1 Distinguished Schools by the Georgia Department of Education.

The county’s schools are among 868 public schools statewide to receive the designation. Schools are given “distinguished” status based on having made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) three or more years consecutively. Since all of Fayette’s schools receiving the honor have met AYP six or more years in a row, they will each receive a monetary award, paid out of federal funds, as well as a certificate recognizing their achievement.

Both North Fayette Elementary and Robert J. Burch Elementary have met AYP for 12 consecutive years and will each receive a $1,484 award. Both schools have been recognized as distinguished for 10 years.
Fayette Middle, Fayetteville Intermediate, Hood Avenue Primary, Inman Elementary and Oak Grove Elementary have made AYP for eight consecutive years and will each receive a $742 award. These schools have been recognized as distinguished for six years.

Flat Rock Middle has made AYP for seven consecutive years and will receive a $742 award. The school has been recognized as distinguished for five years.

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Eight Fayette County Schools Named as Distinguished Schools

A total of eight of Fayette County's elementary and middle schools have been named Title 1 Distinguished Schools by the Georgia Department of Education.

The county’s schools are among 896 public schools statewide to receive the designation. Schools are given “distinguished” status based on having made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) three or more years consecutively. Since all of Fayette’s schools receiving the honor have met AYP six or more years in a row, they will each receive a monetary award, paid out of federal funds, as well as a certificate recognizing their achievement.

Both North Fayette Elementary and Robert J. Burch Elementary have met AYP for 11 consecutive years and will each receive a $1,424 award. Both schools have been recognized as distinguished for nine years.

Fayette Middle, Fayetteville Intermediate, Hood Avenue Primary, Inman (formerly East Fayette) Elementary and Oak Grove Elementary have made AYP for seven consecutive years and will each receive a $712 award. These schools have been recognized as distinguished for five years.

Flat Rock Middle has made AYP for six years and will receive a $712 award. The school has been recognized as distinguished for four years.

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