Hope Zeanah has been principal of Elberta Elementary School since it opened 1998.

Elberta Elementary is a particularly high-achieving school in Baldwin County — every year since the No Child Left Behind Act was implemented in 2005, the school has met its Average Yearly Progress (AYP) goals.

Zeanah said meeting AYP for so many years in a row is one of three achievements she highlighted during the National Distinguished Principals Award application process.

“But this is not just a one-person award,” Zeanah said. “This is a school and community award. Our teachers are relentless and dedicated to helping the students who are struggling. They don't ever give up on them. And the community and parents are so supportive.”

Third grade teacher Elizabeth Lucassen, who has taught at Elberta Elementary since the beginning, said Zeanah has continually deferred credit for winning the award to the staff, students, parents and community, revealing her humility and love for her school.

However, Zeanah said she does realize she has a knack for picking out new initiatives and ideas for the school to pursue.

“I see initiatives I feel like would make our school go from good to great,” she said. “When I go to a professional development workshop or I see something in an article I think would be good for the school, I bring it back and I present it to the faculty. The other 99 percent of it is having a faculty that trusts you enough to say, 'If she thinks this is important, we're going to do it.'”

Although she is gifted in completing the administrative tasks of the profession, Zeanah is also extremely personal and is loved by all of the children, faculty and staff, Lucassen said.

“She can tell you the name of every kid on this campus and pretty much the names of their parents and how they get home every day,” Lucassen said. “She is very hands on. Throughout the county, it's known that if you teach at Elberta Elementary, you're so lucky. She's just a good person in and out of school. I call her my boss and my friend.”

Zeanah said one of her favorite aspects of being a principal is being able to interact one-on-one with students.

“The contact with the children every day is just what keeps me going,” Zeanah said. “They'll come in and bring me a book they're going to read for the first time or show me something they've been working on really hard and they finally got it. It's wonderful to see that light finally come on.”

There is a yellow chair in the corner of Zeanah's office surrounded by pictures of smiling children. The sign hanging above the chair reads, “King or Queen for the Moment.”

“It's for somebody who has done something really good or just really needs a boost,” she said. “They'll come in and sit and read a book, or we'll sit and chat for a while. The kids love it.”

After the March 6 announcement about the award, the school organized a surprise pep rally to celebrate.

Despite her insistence on the award being a group achievement, Zeanah was definitely queen for that moment. She even got to wear a tiara and a sash.

“It has certainly been an honor,” she said. “The best part is to see how excited the children are about it.”

In October, Zeanah and the other states' winners will travel to Washington, D.C. for a celebration in their honor.