Murray’s Reed is Educator of the Year

Vickie Reed said it took several years for her to realize she’d made a mistake when she dropped out of Murray County High School early in her senior year.

“I did not have a good high school experience,” said Reed, who is now superintendent of Murray County Schools. “I got out and worked really hard in the carpet industry, 10 hours a day, and went that route before I realized that’s not the kind of life I wanted.

“I guess it took me a little while to grow up.”

Reed has come a long way since going back to school and earning her GED (General Educational Development) degree. Not only has she attained her master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees, but in mid-July she received the Jim Puckett Outstanding Educator of the Year award for school superintendents from the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) at their annual summer conference at Jekyll Island.

There are six affiliates under GAEL: curriculum and instructional supervisors, special education administrators, and school superintendents and principals’ groups at the elementary, middle and secondary school levels.

Herb Garrett, executive director of the school superintendents affiliate, said Reed “stepped out,” led her staff to innovate and was recognized for it.

“In all honesty, I’ve seen people at the superintendent level receive this award because their school system did something extraordinary with curriculum (and) I’ve seen another one nominated a number of years ago because they started a particularly aggressive building program,” he said. “In Vickie’s case, it seems to be that the nomination and the award was based on some really good work they’ve done in order to navigate these troubled financial waters. They kinda stepped out and did some things differently, and one of the things it did was allow them to stay afloat.”

Reed did not actually attend the conference due to conflicts, but said one of the system’s principals who was there called on her cell phone to tell her Murray County was being recognized — and applauded.

“(Murray County High Principal) Gina Linder and Dr. Maria Bradley (principal of North Murray High School) were there,” she said. “Dr. Bradley called and said, ‘I know you didn’t know that the school system was being recognized and that you were getting an award, but listen.’ So she held the phone up and I heard the applause, and she said, ‘That applause is for the Murray County school system.’ So that was exciting.”

Bradley said it didn’t take her long to realize the presenter was talking about something familiar.

“The lady from GSSA (Georgia School Superintendents Association) had not named who the recipient was going to be, but I could tell from what she was saying she was talking about Murray County Schools,” she said. “She was talking about a superintendent who had taken a risk trying a new school calendar, and talked about the innovative ways she had saved the school system money, and that she was a school superintendent that other superintendents could model themselves after. She talked about how many school systems this year were going to follow in her footsteps with a modified calendar.”

Retired principal Joe Davis said Reed has a “sense of mission.”

“Dr. Reed has always been an innovator,” he said. “As a teacher she would search for unique ways to solve problems, and her students were always challenged to do their best. She still has that sense of mission as superintendent. The problems Dr. Reed faces now are different, but she is still in there looking for the best solutions for the students.”

Reed’s executive secretary, Vickie Hobbs, described her management style.

“When decisions or issues pertinent to a particular department or school must be made, the principal or director is always consulted,” she said. “During the present budget crisis, Dr. Reed has relied heavily on her staff for guidance. The directors and principals make recommendations to her as to which programs and positions are required and which are expendable. She values their expertise and seriously considers it when making decisions. She abides by the adage, ‘Inspect what you expect.’ She expects the greatest effort when it comes to children’s learning.”

Reed said system personnel have been “scared” about the draconian budget cuts the system has had to make.

“I’m very proud of the award, I really am, but the Murray County Schools staff are the ones who deserve it more than I,” she said. “It’s been a hard year for our administrators, staff and teachers, because we were all scared (with the budget cuts). But the teachers were saying, ‘We’re going to get it done. We’re going to get it done. We’re going to get what we’ve been doing in 180 days in 160 days.’ Had it not been for all of them, I would not have received this recognition. It’s not about me, it’s about us.”

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