Metro Roundup: Rocky Ridge Principal named 2020 National Distinguished Principal for Alabama
Dil Uswatte, the principal at Rocky Ridge Elementary School, has been named the National Distinguished Principal for Alabama for 2020.
Each year, The National Association of Elementary School Principals chooses one principal from each state as a National Distinguished Principal.
Uswatte knew she was one of three Alabama principals who were finalists for the award this year but didn’t know she had won it until a surprise ceremony at her school on Feb. 28.
The entire student body and faculty filled the gym and burst into cheers when Uswatte walked inside. She had been pulled away to the central office and had just returned to the school when she was summoned to the gym.
Vic Wilson, executive director for the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, informed the students that Uswatte had won the top award for elementary school principals in the state.
Hoover schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy told Uswatte she was proud of her. “Thank you for your compassion, your passion, your leadership, the integrity, the dignity, the respect, all the good teaching and learning that you do and for teaching me,” Murphy said. “I’m so proud of you as a human being.”
Uswatte also received congratulations from former Rocky Ridge Principal Sonia Carrington and Rocky Ridge Assistant Principal Aqila Malpass.
Malpass said she was not surprised that Uswatte won the national award. “You are a phenomenal leader. You are one of a kind,” Malpass said.
When Malpass was hired as assistant principal three years ago, Uswatte put her in charge of curriculum and instruction, but Malpass said she was blown away that Uswatte didn’t keep her in that box.
“You shared every single part of this school with me, and you grew me as a leader,” Malpass said. “Under your leadership, this school grows amazing people, and it’s because of your passion for learning, growing, improving and innovating.”
Uswatte said she will never forget that day. She said it’s an honor and privilege to be principal at Rocky Ridge and thanked all those who mentored and supported her over the years and the teachers and staff at Rocky Ridge who make the school what it is.
“When we go into a profession, it can be a profession that we do, or it can be a profession that we love, and I love — I love what I do,” Uswatte said.
24 YEARS IN EDUCATION
Uswatte just completed her fifth year as a principal at Rocky Ridge — just barely long enough to be eligible for the award.
Before that, she served four years as an assistant principal at Rocky Ridge under Sonia Carrington and had taught math and science at the middle and high school levels. She has been an educator for 24 years in total.
When she taught math at Berry Middle School in 2009, she received the National Milken Educator Award, which often is described as the equivalent of an Oscar award in the film industry. Since then, she initiated a mentoring program for Milken award winners from Alabama to help them mentor other promising teachers in their districts.
She also initiated and co-directs the National Milken Mentor program in which veteran Milken award winners support new recipients, and she will be featured in an upcoming documentary focusing on education and the “American Dream” at the Center for Advancing the American Dream scheduled to open in Washington, D.C., around 2022.
For the past four years, the Milken Foundation has invited Uswatte to give presentations at the foundation’s annual national forum, speaking on topics such as pursuing a doctorate, excellence in math education and the value of mentoring.
Her passion for math and science — and for children — prompted her to partner with other educators to start a Girls Engaged in Math and Science program for Hoover schools. The program now includes an annual expo with hands-on learning activities that draws close to 300 girls ages 5-13 across the district.
Under Uswatte’s leadership, Rocky Ridge Elementary last year achieved national STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) accreditation from the AdvancEd organization, now known as Cognia. The accreditation certifies that the school has developed rigorous and quality STEM instruction to help children master 21st century skills.
Uswatte also has been inducted into the Alabama Teacher Hall of Fame and has served on its selection committee for the past nine years. She also has served on the Teacher of the Year selection committees at the district and state level for the past three years.
She was selected as the Alabama TedEd Educator in 2017 and then as a mentor TedEd Educator in 2018. She is a regular guest lecturer at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Samford University and each year hosts more than 20 student teachers at Rocky Ridge.
She has served as president of District 4 of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools and will be on the group’s board of directors for the next three years, and she is an officer on the executive council for the Alabama Association for Elementary School Administrators.
Other finalists to become Alabama’s National Distinguished Principal for 2020 were Bradley Scott at Blossomwood Elementary in Huntsville and Bonnie Sullivan at Wetumpka Elementary in Elmore County.