Douglas receives Blue Ribbon Schools award

Apr. 26—Decatur City Schools Superintendent Michael Douglas last week became the fourth superintendent in the nation to receive the 2023 Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Superintendent Award.

Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence (BSRE) works with students, teachers, administrators and parents to develop school improvement plans. Ten of Decatur's 17 schools have earned Blue Ribbon Lighthouse status, and one elementary school won a Beacon Award since Decatur City Schools started to work with the program in 2018.

"The schools are the ones that actually did all the work," Douglas said Tuesday. "Blue Ribbon's designation of me is more of a districtwide award than it is a personal award for me."

BRSE is different than the U.S. Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools Program — a distinction awarded to Walter Jackson Elementary in 2022 and Leon Sheffield Magnet School in 2017.

Faith Plunkett, who coordinates with BRSE, said the program has offered more enrichment opportunities for students during the school day and promoted active engagement in classrooms. She believes the Lighthouse designations, BRSE's highest achievement award for a school, helps recognize schools committed to improvement.

"I think people don't see what's happening in our schools, they only hear about our test scores," Plunkett said. "They don't realize the diversity we have, the opportunities we have. So many school systems see us as progressive. We have people from Hoover and Mountain Brook visit us, even in the past couple months, who have said, 'We're jealous of the opportunities that your students have.'"

Like Douglas, Plunkett also believes the recognition is a win for the district.

"I think it shows how much he's brought to our district in the past six years," she said. "If you look at how much we've done in five years, even with COVID, it's amazing, especially with the field of STEM and giving our students as many opportunities as possible."

Douglas and Plunkett plan to continue their work with BRSE until all Decatur schools achieve Lighthouse status. Douglas said leadership changes have delayed the start of evaluations in some schools.

"Truthfully, the schools that haven't (achieved Lighthouse) is because we haven't gone through the process with those schools," Douglas said. "When you have a new administrator, you want to give them time to get to know the school before you go through the process."

Douglas is one of four superintendents to receive the distinction. Cullman County Schools Superintendent Shane Barnette earned the first award in 2019. Hartselle City Schools Superintendent Dee Dee Jones received the award in 2021 and Fayetteville City Schools Superintendent Bill Hopkins, formerly superintendent of Morgan County Schools, received the recognition in 2021.

"We congratulate Dr. Douglas on this outstanding award," said Michele Gray King, Decatur City Board of Education president. "I commend him for his hard work, leadership, and vision for Decatur City Schools."

Douglas will be presented with the award at the BRSE National Conference in Orlando on Dec. 1.

— audrey.johnson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2437.