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Hartselle Enquirer
Dr. Dee Dee Jones recently took over as new Superintendent of Hartselle City Schools. | Caleb Suggs

Get to know Dr. Jones

Caleb Suggs

Hartselle Suggs

School officially began last week for Hartselle City Schools and with it, they welcomed a new Superintendent. Dr. Dee Dee Jones, who was previously working as Hartselle’s Director of teaching and learning, was promoted to the position of superintendent just the week prior after the Hartselle Board of Education conducted public interviews of four different candidates. Jones made the move from Decatur City Schools to Hartselle City Schools a few years ago, and has enjoyed every minute of it. “Just the family atmosphere and the community support has drawn me here. The culture of family and school spirit here is unique,” Jones said. “The academics as well. Our students at Hartselle High School have so many opportunities. My 11th grade daughter already has 6 hours of college credit.”

Jones first year as Superintendent just happens to coincide with her entering her 30th year in education. She has spent her past 29 years as a teacher, reading specialist, assistant principal, principal and secondary career teach supervisor at Fort Payne, Decatur and Hartselle City Schools. She has a, Associate of Science Degree from Northeast Alabama State Jr. College, a B.S. in Elementary Education, an M.A. in Education from UAB and a PhD. in Educational Leadership from UAB and the University of Alabama. Starting in high school, Jones knew what she wanted to do in life, which was to go into education. “After basketball season I had the opportunity to go work at the child development center and work in an afterschool program.,” Jones said. “I worked from 1-5 every day and I knew that I wanted to go into education and work with kids. It didn’t take long for her to reach her goal as she finished school in just three years and began teaching before she even turned 21. “I started teaching when I was 20 in my hometown of Fort Payne,” Jones said. “I taught sixth grade for 10 years in Decatur and then I moved to reading coach at Cedar Ridge before I went to work for the state department. I traveled to every middle school and high school from Birmingham North to the west side of the state,” Jones continued. “I learned a lot during that time. I worked with different principals and superintendents and I learned different styles of leadership,” Jones said. “I got to learn how to handle different situations, which was helpful when I became a principal later.”

On her way to becoming superintendent, Dee Dee has made about every stop a person can make in the field of education, which she feels has prepared her for her new position. “I was just fortunate and blessed that it happened like that,” Jones said. “Having those opportunities to watch and observe other people and take away all that knowledge and implement all that into what I’m doing now and what I’m going to do in the future is important. I always said that I wanted to make a difference everywhere I went. I enjoy watching other people succeed, especially when you’re encouraging a teacher to become something and they achieve that.”

One of the big things that was expressed by the community when the Board of Education held a community forum to ask the people what they wanted in the new superintendent, was for there not to be a lot of change. Former superintendent Vic Wilson was loved by everyone in Hartselle, and he did many great things that the people of Hartselle want to see keep going. Jones, who worked under Wilson here in the city schools, believes she brings that stability that is wanted. “There is not going to be a lot of change. I told the teachers that it was going to be a smooth transition,” Jones said. “Dr. Wilson did a great job here and we’re going to continue on the path that we are on.” Like Wilson, you can expect Jones to be active at the schools, at the school’s events and in the community. “Social media is a big tool. I try to send out what’s going on in the schools on all the platforms. I want to be engaged when I’m in the schools,” Jones said. “I want parents to be able to see what is going on in the schools.”

Jones has had to hit the ground running as enrollment numbers have reached all time highs for Hartselle City Schools. Total enrollment is up to 3,354 kids with the high school reaching over 1,000 kids for the first time in the school’s history. “They can expect me to always put the kids first,” Jones said. “That’s why we’re here, it’s not about me.”

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