May 15, 2025
When Everyone Invests: The Recipe for Educational Excellence
Excellence in education takes center stage as Dr. Wallace Martin reveals the remarkable journey that led Brookwood Elementary to national recognition. Receiving the National Title I School of Distinction award places this Alabama school in rarified air – one of only two schools statewide and among just fifteen elementary schools nationwide in their category to earn this prestigious honor.
Spotlight 4 Success Website: Spotlight 4 Success
00:00 - Meeting Dr. Wallace Martin
00:41 - National Title I School Distinction
02:15 - Dr. Martin's Retirement Announcement
03:27 - American Book Company Sponsor Message
04:01 - Dr. Martin's Educational Journey
05:02 - Closing Words on Federal Programs
WEBVTT
00:00:06.711 --> 00:00:09.615
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book Company.
00:00:09.615 --> 00:00:11.539
I'm Devin Pintosa, your host.
00:00:11.539 --> 00:00:18.254
We are here at the Alabama Federal Programs Conference in wonderful Montgomery, alabama.
00:00:18.254 --> 00:00:27.195
We were here with Dr Wallace Martin of Brookwood Elementary, an award-winning Title I school.
00:00:27.195 --> 00:00:30.248
Thank you so much for joining us today, dr Martin.
00:00:30.248 --> 00:00:32.408
Thank you very much, it's my pleasure, glad to be here.
00:00:32.408 --> 00:00:33.301
Wonderful.
00:00:33.301 --> 00:00:38.093
Can you tell us a bit as to what went on today?
00:00:38.093 --> 00:00:41.039
You received the Distinguished School Award for Brookwood Elementary.
00:00:41.381 --> 00:00:41.722
We did.
00:00:41.722 --> 00:01:02.204
We were very fortunate, very grateful and thankful to be recognized for our award as being a national Title I school of distinction, one of only two in the state of Alabama this year, and for our particular category, category three, one of only 15 in the entire country, one of 15 elementary schools.
00:01:02.204 --> 00:01:13.465
Our English learner students showed a 97.08% increase in their ACAP scores from one year to the next.
00:01:13.906 --> 00:01:15.609
That is fantastic.
00:01:15.609 --> 00:01:19.543
And what do you attribute that huge increase in scores?
00:01:20.105 --> 00:01:21.828
Well, first and foremost, the students.
00:01:21.828 --> 00:01:31.492
They have invested I don't like to use the phrase buy-in they have invested in our program and our plan and trusted us in what we've asked them to do.
00:01:31.492 --> 00:01:37.492
I attribute it to our teachers for implementing the program and the plan.
00:01:37.492 --> 00:01:46.887
Certainly our EL teacher, ms Catalina Snopfner, but our entire staff plays a vital role, catalina Schnafner, but our entire staff, you know, plays a vital role.
00:01:46.887 --> 00:01:51.606
Everybody from the copy machine in the office to the ice machine in the lunchroom, you know, has something to do with it and has invested in our program.
00:01:51.606 --> 00:01:53.033
Also, our parents.
00:01:53.033 --> 00:02:04.650
We have very, you know, supportive parents who are not demanding and who get the children to school and, you know, get them there on time and help us and support us outside of the school regular school day.
00:02:11.460 --> 00:02:12.420
Oh, that is wonderful.
00:02:12.420 --> 00:02:13.643
That is such a great, stunning thing.
00:02:13.643 --> 00:02:14.784
I understand this year.
00:02:14.985 --> 00:02:16.247
You're retiring as well.
00:02:16.247 --> 00:02:16.487
I am.
00:02:16.487 --> 00:02:17.288
This will be it.
00:02:17.288 --> 00:02:19.352
This is my all together.
00:02:19.352 --> 00:02:25.211
I have 37 and a half years in education and it has been a wonderful career.
00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:30.349
I announced it last week to the faculty, definitely not unhappy or upset.
00:02:30.349 --> 00:02:34.991
I mean, this is a great year to go out with these awards that we've had.
00:02:34.991 --> 00:02:43.860
We've had some other school awards as well but just think that now is time and ready for maybe a little bit of a change, something different.
00:02:43.860 --> 00:02:53.411
I had the opportunity to help open this school 16 years ago, so I've been the only principal and I could probably do a couple more years.
00:02:53.411 --> 00:03:00.532
But I'm not going to tread water and if I can't go wide open in 150%, I'm not going to do it.
00:03:00.532 --> 00:03:03.689
It's not fair to the kids or the teachers or my parents.
00:03:03.689 --> 00:03:11.984
So, looking forward to what lies ahead and I know there's going to be some people who will help move the needle in the right direction- that is wonderful.
00:03:12.925 --> 00:03:16.151
Wow, what a great story and thank you for your service.
00:03:16.151 --> 00:03:27.314
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming principal here at Brookwood Elementary and what that whole journey was like?
00:03:27.314 --> 00:03:32.312
At American Book Company in Woodstock, georgia, we are committed to your students' success.
00:03:32.312 --> 00:03:39.943
As you can see behind me, we have our workbooks and we have online testing and e-books that go on fancy iPads over here, for instance.
00:03:39.943 --> 00:03:45.935
They're all designed to help your students succeed and have higher test scores on their high-stakes assessments.
00:03:45.935 --> 00:03:57.032
Give us a call 888-264-5877, or find us on the web, abck12.com, and you can receive a free trial or a free preview book of your choice.
00:03:57.032 --> 00:03:58.789
Hope to hear from you soon.
00:03:58.789 --> 00:03:59.294
Bye-bye.
00:04:01.323 --> 00:04:04.372
It was a long time ago and it was a wonderful journey.
00:04:04.372 --> 00:04:05.686
I wouldn't change a thing.
00:04:05.686 --> 00:04:11.467
I started at a junior high school Coppinville Junior High School and I was there for 15 years.
00:04:11.467 --> 00:04:19.932
I taught seventh grade social studies and coached girls basketball, did that for nine years and I got my first administrative job there.
00:04:19.932 --> 00:04:28.608
I was an assistant principal there and I worked for two great principals who were wonderful mentors that I still stay in contact with to this day.
00:04:28.608 --> 00:04:34.966
And then I was in the central office for two years as elementary curriculum director.
00:04:34.966 --> 00:04:46.694
And then I had an opportunity to help open a new school, which was Brookwood, and I've been there for 16 years, and 12 of those years we were an all-kindergarten school.
00:04:46.694 --> 00:04:54.512
We were an early education center Wow, I had 565 year-olds on campus and I never lost a one.
00:04:54.872 --> 00:04:55.653
Oh, that's good.
00:04:55.653 --> 00:05:01.851
And is there anything you'd like to share with the Alabama Federal Program community?
00:05:02.401 --> 00:05:09.232
Well, I think this is a wonderful conference and I want to thank all of the federal program's directors for what they do.
00:05:09.232 --> 00:05:31.172
We are very fortunate to have an outstanding one in our district, ms Cherie Hardwick, and what we're able to do with the funds and the services to help children is remarkable, and I'm very grateful for all that they do for us and for all that they do for students, and this is a wonderful learning opportunity for them to be able to get together and collaborate with one another here.
00:05:31.172 --> 00:05:33.225
I think this is an outstanding conference.
00:05:33.225 --> 00:05:38.648
It's always nice to be able to kind of get out of your building and see how other people are doing things and get some good ideas.
00:05:39.249 --> 00:05:41.800
That's wonderful, dr Wallace Martin.
00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:44.946
Thank you so much With Brookwood Elementary.
00:05:44.946 --> 00:05:46.487
Thank you so much for joining us today, dr Wallace Martin.
00:05:46.507 --> 00:05:47.028
Thank you very much.
00:05:47.028 --> 00:05:57.543
My pleasure, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks Thanks.
00:00:06.711 --> 00:00:09.615
00:00:09.615 --> 00:00:11.539
00:00:11.539 --> 00:00:18.254
00:00:18.254 --> 00:00:27.195
00:00:27.195 --> 00:00:30.248
00:00:30.248 --> 00:00:32.408
00:00:32.408 --> 00:00:33.301
00:00:33.301 --> 00:00:38.093
00:00:38.093 --> 00:00:41.039
00:00:41.381 --> 00:00:41.722
00:00:41.722 --> 00:01:02.204
00:01:02.204 --> 00:01:13.465
00:01:13.906 --> 00:01:15.609
00:01:15.609 --> 00:01:19.543
00:01:20.105 --> 00:01:21.828
00:01:21.828 --> 00:01:31.492
00:01:31.492 --> 00:01:37.492
00:01:37.492 --> 00:01:46.887
00:01:46.887 --> 00:01:51.606
00:01:51.606 --> 00:01:53.033
00:01:53.033 --> 00:02:04.650
00:02:11.460 --> 00:02:12.420
00:02:12.420 --> 00:02:13.643
00:02:13.643 --> 00:02:14.784
00:02:14.985 --> 00:02:16.247
00:02:16.247 --> 00:02:16.487
00:02:16.487 --> 00:02:17.288
00:02:17.288 --> 00:02:19.352
00:02:19.352 --> 00:02:25.211
00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:30.349
00:02:30.349 --> 00:02:34.991
00:02:34.991 --> 00:02:43.860
00:02:43.860 --> 00:02:53.411
00:02:53.411 --> 00:03:00.532
00:03:00.532 --> 00:03:03.689
00:03:03.689 --> 00:03:11.984
00:03:12.925 --> 00:03:16.151
00:03:16.151 --> 00:03:27.314
00:03:27.314 --> 00:03:32.312
00:03:32.312 --> 00:03:39.943
00:03:39.943 --> 00:03:45.935
00:03:45.935 --> 00:03:57.032
00:03:57.032 --> 00:03:58.789
00:03:58.789 --> 00:03:59.294
00:04:01.323 --> 00:04:04.372
00:04:04.372 --> 00:04:05.686
00:04:05.686 --> 00:04:11.467
00:04:11.467 --> 00:04:19.932
00:04:19.932 --> 00:04:28.608
00:04:28.608 --> 00:04:34.966
00:04:34.966 --> 00:04:46.694
00:04:46.694 --> 00:04:54.512
00:04:54.872 --> 00:04:55.653
00:04:55.653 --> 00:05:01.851
00:05:02.401 --> 00:05:09.232
00:05:09.232 --> 00:05:31.172
00:05:31.172 --> 00:05:33.225
00:05:33.225 --> 00:05:38.648
00:05:39.249 --> 00:05:41.800
00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:44.946
00:05:44.946 --> 00:05:46.487
00:05:46.507 --> 00:05:47.028
00:05:47.028 --> 00:05:57.543
