by Sheryl Marlar
University of West Georgia alumna Dr. Ardith Bates ’97 has been named Georgia’s Middle Level 2014 National Distinguished Principal. The honor is by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the United States Department of Education. Dr. Bates was nominated and selected by fellow principals and the Georgia Department of Education in a statewide search conducted by the Georgia Association of Middle School Principals.
The award was presented by Dr. Bob Heaberlin, executive director of the Georgia Association of Middle School Principals (GAMSP) at an assembly held at Gladden Middle School in Chatsworth, Georgia, where Dr. Bates is currently entering her sixth year as principal. Under her leadership, Gladden has received numerous prestigious state and national award recognitions from various programs and organizations. The school has been honored by the Georgia Lighthouse Schools to Watch and the National Designated Schools to Watch in Washington, D.C. Gladden has also been recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for best practices in the area of food services.
When asked about Dr. Bates, Dr. Vickie Reed, Murray County School superintendent, describes her as “an ambassador for education.” She went on to say, “She sets high expectations for all students academically by fostering shared leadership and professional growth of individuals. Gladden Middle School is a C2G (Committed to Graduate) school along with other schools in Murray County. Dr. Bates enthusiastically partners with feeder schools to instill the concept of graduation in all students.”
From Dalton, Georgia, Dr. Bates has been in education for 25 years. As a graduate of Dalton State College, the University of Georgia, the University of West Georgia and the University of Alabama, she holds degrees in elementary education, educational psychology, middle grades education and instructional leadership. Other than principal, several other educational roles she has held include a middle and high school teacher, a high school guidance counselor, a middle school assistant principal, a student services director and a graduate school college professor.
Dr. Bates says, “This award is quite an honor. I feel it belongs as much to the students and teachers of Gladden Middle School as much as it belongs to me. Without having such a stellar, kind, hard working group of educators working with me each and every day, this would not even be a possibility. I have a lot of gratitude toward the people I work with at Gladden Middle School, the students, this community and my Superintendent, Dr. Vickie Reed.”
Coincidentally, Dr. Bates is the second member of her family to receive this award. Her father, Dr. James L. Bates, received the 1991 National Distinguished Principal Award while principal of Pleasant Grove Elementary school in Dalton, Georgia.
