You didn't call Meadowcreek High "Ghettocreek" in Principal Bob Jackson's presence.
The way he saw it, just because the Norcross school's students are primarily minority and hail from low-income homes didn't mean they were unworthy. He chose to prove they could learn and said it was time for his often-maligned international student population to show they could compete with peers across the country.
Meadowcreek, for two years running in 2009 and 2010, met "adequate yearly progress" goals mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The school, however, fell short in 2011.
"He loved that school and truly loved those kids," said Charles Phillips, a travel league basketball coach whose players hail primarily from the Meadowcreek schools cluster. "When he got there, he put a lot of pressure on everybody to step up and be accountable. He put the work in and put systems in place for success."
Ladeadrick "Bob" Jackson was interviewing a teacher Monday when he excused himself, stepped outside and collapsed. Though a fire station sits next to the campus on Steve Reynolds Boulevard, paramedics were unable to revive him, said Gwinnett County School Board member Louise Radloff.
"It's an emotional time," Mrs. Radloff said. "He intermingled with the kids a lot and was very visible with the kids. They will really miss him, not to mention the faculty starting school."
No additional information about the cause of death or funeral arrangements has been released.
In 1984, Mr. Jackson started his career as a teacher in Ohio after earning various degrees, according to the Gwinnett County Schools' media relations department. Locally, he was a social studies teacher at Central Gwinnett High, then became that campus's administrative assistant.
For five years, he was the assistant principal at Lilburn's Berkmar High and arrived at Meadowcreek, one of the county's most diverse schools, in 2006. The campus has twice as many kids in English for Speakers of Other Languages as other Gwinnett schools. Of roughly 2,400 students, half are Hispanic; a high percentage of the population qualifies for free or discounted meals.
Mr. Jackson and the faculty sought to achieve AYP with daily enrichment and advisement time, data-driven lessons and exams to track student progress.
"He was excellent at analyzing the data and communicating with staff what the needs were," Mrs. Radloff said.
When Gateway, a program started 10 years ago by Mrs. Radloff to prepare students for state-mandated tests, needed a larger venue, Meadowcreek stepped up.
"Mr. Jackson and the staff opened their arms and invited us in," she said. "He knew the importance of closing the achievement gap, and [the Gateway] students came from all over the county."
For now, area Superintendent Calvin Watts has stepped in to fill the leadership void. A principal will be appointed prior to school starting Aug. 8.
Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks issued this statement regarding the educator's demise: "As a principal, Mr. Jackson knew and experienced the challenges as well as the rewards that go with running a large and complex organization like a school," he wrote.
"Mr. Jackson always found a way to handle both with professionalism and humility, never forgetting that schools and educators are called to serve the students and ensure they are prepared for success."
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