Congratulations to Bibb County School District Superintendent Curtis L. Jones Jr. for being named the 2019 National Superintendent of the Year Thursday.
Jones helped revitalize Bibb after the tenure of Romain Dallemand, who pleaded guilty to tax evasion and whose administration was marred by allegations of corruption.
“I am thankful and humbled by this recognition. I also know that this selection is because of the great work that teachers, principals and students are doing in the classrooms every day,” said Jones in a statement. “It is because of the hard work that the senior cabinet and central office do to support school every day. And it is because of what parents and the community have done to support our efforts to increase reading proficiency, improve discipline, and make our schools safe, secure and fun places to be.”
A West Point graduate, Jones came to Bibb in 2015 from Griffin-Spalding, where he had worked for 18 years and led the district for six.
Here is a statement the Georgia Depatment of Education:
The American Association for School Administrators named Bibb County Schools Superintendent Dr. Curtis L. Jones Jr. the 2019 National Superintendent of the Year Thursday in Los Angeles.
“Dr. Curtis Jones is an excellent educator and he’s a man of great integrity,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “He has made real strides in Bibb County and exemplifies the work going on in Georgia to prepare students for life. I’m grateful he’s a Georgia educator and I’m proud to call him a friend.”
“This award shows that leadership matters,” Jones told AASA. “I am so humbled. For me, it means that our district is doing the right work. It means that our teachers, our principals have worked hard and are being recognized, not only at the state level but also nationally.”
Jones has served as superintendent in Macon-Bibb County since 2015. His career as an educator began in Griffin-Spalding when he took a role as JROTC instructor in his hometown after retiring from serving as an Army officer for 20 years.
Using his classroom and administrative experiences, he developed the district’s strategic plan, “Victory in Our Schools.”
The plan has five goal areas: increasing student achievement; increasing student and stakeholder engagement; increasing teacher and leader effectiveness; being a reliable organization; and learning and growth. This plan drives the district’s continuous improvement efforts through shared accountability for all stakeholders and resource alignment.
AASA’s National Superintendent of the Year program is open to all U.S. superintendents who plan to continue in the profession. The applicants were measured against the following criteria:
Leadership for learning – creativity in successfully meeting the needs of students in the school system;
Communication – strength in both personal and organizational communication;
Professionalism – constant improvement of administrative knowledge and skills, while providing professional development opportunities and motivation to others on the education team; and
Community involvement – active participation in local community activities and an understanding of regional, national and international issues.
A $10,000 college scholarship will be presented in the name of the 2019 AASA National Superintendent of the Year to a student in the high school from which the superintendent graduated, or the school now serving the same area.
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