Each October the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA) sponsor National Principals Month.
The purpose of the month is to recognize the essential role principals play in making a school and its students successful. Principals are primary catalysts for creating lasting foundations for learning, say Liberty County School System officials.
National Principals Month gives citizens an opportunity to reflect on the impact principals have on their children, according to school officials. Throughout the month of October, the Liberty County School System will highlight its school principals. They encourage residents to thank principals for the work they do.
Principal profiles provided by LCSS can be read below. More profiles will be submitted in coming weeks:
Lyman Hall’s McRae Mangum
McRae Mangum is in his second year as principal at Lyman Hall Elementary School. After serving more than 10 years in the U.S. Army, he received a master’s degree in educational leadership from National-Louis University and a master of divinity from Payne Theological Seminary. In his education career, he served as a paraprofessional for one year, an educational facilitator for three years and a classroom teacher for two years. Mr. Mangum’s leadership began with two years in administrative resource and 10 years as an assistant principal prior to being named principal at Lyman Hall.
Button Gwinnett’s
Delores Crawford
Delores Crawford has served as principal at Button Gwinnett Elementary School for the past five years. However, she did not begin her career in the field of education. In 1989, Crawford earned a bachelor’s of science degree from Savannah State University in criminal justice with a minor in military science and served as a military intelligence officer at Fort Stewart. She is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War and supported Peace Keeping Operations with the National Guard in Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of Operation Joint Endeavor. In 1998, she went back and earned a master’s degree in adult education from Georgia Southern University and then in 2009 earned an educational specialist degree in leadership from Georgia Southern.
Crawford began her education career as a special needs paraprofessional at Liberty County High School and then served as a classroom teacher for eight years at Snelson-Golden Middle, Jordye Bacon Elementary, and Waldo Pafford Elementary. Her leadership experience began at Liberty County Pre-K where she served as assistant principal for four years. She served as assistant principal at Frank Long Elementary and Button Gwinnett Elementary as well, prior to being named principal of Button Gwinnett Elementary.
Crawford was number 13 of 16 children from Bartow, Ga. She has been married to Vincent Crawford for 31 years and they have two sons, Kristopher, 27 and LeJon, 15. She has been a resident of Liberty County since April 1990. Crawford is a member of Liberty Christian Fellowship Worship Center in Midway, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her favorite mindset is “Everything is Possible,” if you just believe.
Bradwell Institute’s
Alvin Williams
Alvin Williams is currently serving his first year as principal of Bradwell Institute. He received his bachelor’s degree in arts from Alabama State University and master’s degree in education from Albany State University. He received his education specialist degree from Valdosta State University. Williams served as a classroom teacher for 10 years and as an assistant principal for three years prior to being named principal at Bradwell Institute. Williams also served for two years as a school board member in another school district. He is married and the proud father of a 14-year-old son and a 2-month-old baby boy. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
