System-level Outstanding Administrator Award
Ralph D. Jones, Superintendent
Decatur County Schools
Mr. Ralph D. Jones is the 2008-2009 recipient of the system-level GAE Outstanding
Administrator Award. He has been an educator for 34 years with 26 years of experience as an
administrator. He currently serves as Superintendent of Decatur County Schools. Mr. Jones has
been a GAE member for 4 years and an active member of the Decatur County Association of
Educators.
As Superintendent for the past 6 years, Mr. Jones has brought many new and innovative ideas to
the Decatur County Schools. Mr. Jones’ career has focused on making a difference in the lives of
teachers, staff, and the entire community. He has been fortunate to make significant
contributions to the profession. Listed below are a few of his many accomplishments:
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Started new 21st Century Grant at Bainbridge High School
•
Implemented credit recovery at Bainbridge School
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Led Successful ESPLOST through 2012 for funding of capital outlay projects
•
Successful Five-Year Plan completed and approved by state facilities department
•
Lead building projects for the new Bainbridge High School and West Bainbridge
Elementary School
Mr. Jones has been recognized for his performance as an educator. Some of his many honors
awards include:
•
Certified Athletic Administrator – only one in 38 athletic directors in the State of
Georgia to earn C.A.A. National Certification – 1998
•
State Coach of the Year, 1982, 1990, 1994 (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
•
Panelist for Development of Georgia School Improvement Grant, Next
Generation Projects
Professional organizations are vital to Mr. Jones’ position as Superintendent in order to provide
overarching leadership for the school system. Some of his affiliations include:
•
Georgia Association of Educators
•
Georgia Association of Educational Leaders
•
Georgia School Superintendent’s Association
•
Decatur County Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Jones’ is a leader with a broad experience base to guide successful learning and working
environment in the Decatur County Schools. He has excellent people skills which afford him the
opportunity to take individual strengths and blend them together and make dynamic teams and
organizations. Mr. Jones’ positive attributes are combined and fueled by strong and visionary
leadership which have produced synergy that has thrust the school system forward.
Outstanding Administrator – School-level
Landon Brown, Principal
Lindley 6th Grade Academy
Mr. Landon Brown is the 2008-2009 recipient of the school-level GAE Outstanding
Administrator Award.
He has been an educator for 11 years with7 years of experience as an administrator. He
currently serves a Principal of the Lindley 6th Grade Academy in the Cobb County Schools. Mr.
Brown has been a GAE member for more than 11 years and a very active member of the Cobb
County Association of Educators.
Principal Landon Brown is a servant leader that truly believes in building relationships
and making connections. Stakeholders in the community often describe Mr. Brown as
outstanding. His strong relationships with the faculty, students, and parents have created a sense
of belonging for the entire Mableton community. He is a proactive leader that impacts change in
subtle ways. Mr. Brown often quotes that he believes, “Educating children is like taking a lot of
‘live wires’ and making sure they are well-grounded.”
Mr. Brown has contributed significantly to the education profession. He is committed to
achieving and maintaining excellence in all of his endeavors. Mr. Brown was selected to be the
principal of a school in corrective action. This was his first principalship and a challenge because
the school had never met adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) guidelines and was in the process of restructuring. Mr. Brown worked tirelessly to
implement a systematic approach to teaching and learning that would differentiate instruction to
meet the needs of all learners. Under his leadership, the school made AYP for the first time. Mr.
Brown credits this success to the hard work and dedication of his staff for believing in the vision
and most importantly, for believing that the students could achieve regardless of the
circumstances and negative perceptions.
Mr. Brown has received the following awards for excellence in education: Outstanding
Educational Leader Alumni Award (Georgia State University, 1998), Cobb County Teacher of
Promise Award Education Administrator of the Year (Cobb Chapter Council for Exceptional
children, 2003), Doctoral Student Leadership Award (Georgia State University, 2004) and
Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008). In addition to being an
active member of GAE, he currently holds membership in the Georgia association of Educational
Leaders, the National Middle School association, and the Association of Educational Research.
Mr. Brown believes that the classroom is one of the most magical experiences on Earth.
He is the type of leader that sets the tone for this to happen through genuine concern for
everyone that he encounters. Mr. Brown is committed to the pursuit of excellence ensuring that
every student is afforded the very best learning opportunities and he strives to implement
innovative ideas and programs that will have a positive impact on his students and staff.