Eastside and Gainesville High administrators named Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year

Press release from Alachua County Public Schools

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The principal of Eastside High School and an assistant principal from Gainesville High School have been selected as Alachua County Public Schools’ Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year and will now go on to represent the district in the statewide recognition programs.

Eastside Principal Leroy Williams and GHS Assistant Principal Mallory Becker were selected by their peers districtwide based on their resumes and their responses to questions developed by the state on such topics as supporting teachers and student performance. 

Williams has been with Alachua County Public Schools since 2004. He began his career as a teacher at Lincoln Middle School before becoming a dean and then an assistant principal at the school. He was named an assistant principal at Eastside in 2016, then was promoted to principal in 2021. 

Williams says his goal as a principal is to cultivate an environment in which teachers, students, staff, and the community work together to serve the ‘whole child’ academically, socially, and emotionally.

“Every day when I come to work, it doesn’t feel like work to me,” said Williams. “I feel like it’s another opportunity to have a positive impact or make a difference in a child’s life.”

Becker has been an educator for nearly 30 years, having worked as a teacher and administrator in California and Alachua County and also working with the University of Florida. She was an assistant principal at Lincoln Middle School for four years, served as principal of the district’s online Alachua eSchool for a year, and has worked for a total of six years as an assistant principal at Gainesville High School.

Becker says she wants to provide academic opportunities for students based on their strengths and interests and has worked to develop opportunities for all students to access advanced coursework. “My goal is to help develop well-rounded students who are equipped to be good citizens and academically prepared, no matter what their plans are after high school,” she said.   

The Florida Principal of the Year and Assistant Principal of the Year finalists are expected to be selected in January or February, with the statewide winners in both recognition programs announced in March or April. 

  • (I’m sorry, but I am offended because this article refers to them with traditional gender pronouns. Is that even allowed by the SBAC? lol)

  • Yes, Mallory!!!! I’m so happy for you and forever grateful for your leadership. Congrats to you both!

  • https://www.publicschoolreview.com/eastside-high-school-profile. Eastside High School placed in the bottom 50% of all schools in Florida for overall test scores (math proficiency is bottom 50%, and reading proficiency is top 50%) for the 2020-21 school year.
    The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 29% (which is lower than the Florida state average of 48%) for the 2020-21 school year. The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 56% (which is higher than the Florida state average of 52%) for the 2020-21 school year.
    The student:teacher ratio of 21:1 is higher than the Florida state level of 16:1.
    Minority enrollment is 79% of the student body (majority Black), which is higher than the Florida state average of 64% (majority Hispanic and Black). Makes me wonder who’s making the selection and what is the basis?

    • According to the press release, the winners “were selected by their peers districtwide based on their resumes and their responses to questions developed by the state.”

      Official school rating data is here: https://www.sbac.edu/Page/2556

      Eastside High rating last 10 years:
      B, A, B, A, A, C, B, B, C, C

      Gainesville High rating last 10 years
      B, A, A, A, A, B, B, B, B, A

      Eastside Principal Leroy Williams was promoted to Asst. Principal in 2016, then Principal in 2021.

      Gainesville High Asst. Principal Mallory Becker has been at the current the job for 6 years.

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