2020 Administrator of the Year
Bobby Tittle--Principal Ohatchee High School
Mr. Bobby Tittle was nominated by Ms. Jennifer Craig, counselor, for the prestigious honor of the 2020 ACCESS Administrator of the Year for the state of Alabama. Together, they developed the Ohatchee High School "Catch Up" Program. The program was designed for students who have fallen behind, need altered schedules, or perform better in an online classroom. Furthermore, students have been able to take additional courses that are not offered typically at the school.
Ms. Craig states, "Many students have benefited from this program; by our calculations, we have been able to help sixteen students graduate over a two-year span. These students saw no option but dropping out. Due to the "Catch Up" Program, they were able to meet the immediate needs of their family, while continuing their education."
In 2016-2017, Ohatchee High School had a graduation rate of 88% which was directly correlated to students who dropped out of school due to an immediately family need and/or economic hardship. Mr. Tittle and the staff at Ohatchee High School decided to face this all-too-common problem with an unconventional approach using ACCESS. They organized a separate computer lab specifically for students enrolled in the "Catch Up" Program. A trained ACCESS facilitator invests time, energy, and compassion in order to help each student succeed. Mr. Tittle meets with students and parents to share this opportunity so that students who may be facing dire situations can have an option to continue to work toward graduation. The "Catch Up" Program allows students the flexibility of scheduling online courses through ACCESS which allows them to continue to work to meet many of their immediate family needs. Students are also able to participate in credit recovery in order to catch up with their same-age peers.
Just two years after implementing this program, Ohatchee's graduation was 98%, a 10% increase from 2017.
Ohatchee High School Faculty & Staff Work Together to Lead Students to Success
Calhoun County Superintendent Praises Tittle's Vision
Mr. Donald Turner, Superintendent for Calhoun County Schools, acknowledges that Mr. Bobby Tittle's leadership has opened many doors for Ohatchee students. Superintendent Turner stated, "Mr. Tittle knows the needs of his school and community and has developed [a] program to help meet those needs. Mr. Tittle's diligence in putting together a program to offer credit recovery, credit advancement, curriculum opportunities, and more, has improved Ohatchee High in many avenues. The use of technology [ACCESS] to advance and push his students to take higher rigor classes is exceptional. The impact this program will have on his students is immeasurable." It is through Mr. Tittle's innovation and collaboration with faculty, staff, students, and community that he is providing this rural school with numerous academic opportunities for success.
Deputy Superintendent, Courtney Wilburn, praises Tittle for his work ethic and drive. "I have worked with Mr. Tittle for nine years," Ms. Wilburn writes in her recommendation letter. "His drive and work ethic are 'second-to-none' as he is always looking for ways to offer new opportunities for his students at Ohatchee High School. This past year, [Mr. Tittle & his staff] were able to offer numerous opportunities to students. Some of these students would not have been able to graduate if not for the courses offered by ACCESS and through the "Catch-Up" Program at Ohatchee High," she replied. Mr. Tittle has utilized ACCESS to bridge academic gaps often identified in small, rural schools.
Bobby Tittle is beginning his 21st year in education. He started his career in 1999 as a band director at Clay County High School. In 2006, he joined the administrative staff at Talladega High School as an assistant principal and later fulfilled the role as principal for THS. Currently, Mr. Tittle is starting his ninth year as principal at Ohatchee High School.
Relationships, Relationships, Relationships... Mr. Tittle's Key to Success
Mr. Tittle emphatically explained his love for Ohatchee High School and the community. He stated that building relationships is essential to success and is one of his favorite things about being an educator. "Relationships with students, faculty, fellow educators, and community [members] are life-long relationships. Serving those who are in your school, adapting to their needs, building up teachers in your [school]--these are all the wonderful aspects of education. Leaders lead by building up those around them, providing resources, and then getting out of the way," Mr. Tittle exclaimed.
Bobby Tittle...
Husband, Father, Principal, ACCESS Admin. of the Year
When asked about being selected as the Administrator of the Year, Mr. Tittle immediately acknowledged that the honor is for the entire school, school system and especially the students. He stated that the success of the Ohatchee ACCESS "Catch Up" Program would not be possible without the help of their counselor, Ms. Jennifer Craig and facilitator, Mr. Bret Henderson.
"The aspect that I like most about ACCESS is the flexibility and convenience it provides. We are able to meet the needs of our students at any time of the day," Mr. Tittle explained.
"We all had a vision," Jennifer Craig explained, "and [Mr. Tittle] helped to make it happen." Through their collective efforts, Ohatchee High School, under the leadership of Mr. Bobby Tittle, has made graduation a reality for many students through the use of ACCESS. For that reason and many more, he has been named the ACCESS Administrator of the Year.
