Jackie Dye
Ruth J. "Jackie" Dye is an involved citizen and retired educator who worked in both Homewood and Jefferson County Schools.
Jackie married Hugh Dye in August 1969, taking his surname.
Education career
Jackie Dye received her bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama and her master's from UAB. She pursued graduate studies back at Alabama and post-graduate studies at UAB.
Dye spent many years teaching English and computer science at Homewood High School. She left to become assistant principal of Shades Valley High School in 1998. She was then promoted to principal of Leeds Middle School in 2000 after Principal Chip Stewart retired. In 2002 she became principal of Rudd Middle School in Pinson.
It was at Rudd that Dye tried an unusual experiment, along with Pam Horton, principal of North Jefferson Middle School. Both schools did a year-long trial of separating boys and girls during academic classes. This trial was based on the teaching of therapist Michael Gurian, who says boys and girls learn differently and therefore must be taught differently, which is necessitates separating them. The separation is also said to lead to fewer discipline problems.
After receiving permission to try the separation from the Jefferson County Board of Education, Dye spent a week studying at the Gurian Institute in Colorado Springs, Colorado before implementing the program during the 2004–2005 school year. Dye did not take sole credit for the program, saying all of the school's teachers were part of the team and all the parents were invited to give their opinions. Although Rudd saw many successes, a large influx of male students the following school year wrecked plans of keeping the male classes small and the experiment was discontinued. At the conclusion of the 2005–2006 school year, Dye retired from public education and became a trainer for the Gurian Institute.
Community involvement
Jackie Dye has been involved with the greater Birmingham community beyond her career. She is a member of the Bluff Park Art Association and, along with her husband, Hugh, typically sponsors a commitment to purchase or cash award at the annual Bluff Park Art Show. The two have chaired the event for 16 years as of 2007.
Dye has also been a member of the Transportation Citizens Committee of the Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization representing Shelby County since October 2005.
Personal life
Dye's husband, Hugh, died in 2020, apparently a victim of the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic. He was also suffering from dementia.
| Preceded by: Chip Stewart |
Leeds Middle Principal 2000–2002 |
Succeeded by: Margaret McCullough |
| Preceded by: Pam Horton |
Rudd Middle Principal 2002–2005 |
Succeeded by: Steve Laney |
References
- Martin, Wayne. (August 4, 2004). "Two Middle Schools Plan Single-sex Classrooms." The Birmingham News.
- Connolly, Daniel. (August 9, 2004). "Separate Classes: Two Jefferson County Schools Offer Same-sex Education." Birmingham Post-Herald.
- "Needs of boys overwhelmed experiment in single-gender classes." (August 3, 2005). The Birmingham News.
- Bluff Park Art Association. "Awards and Donor Pledges". (September 11, 2006). Accessed September 22, 2006.
- Bluff Park Art Association. "Awards and Donor Pledges". (September 8, 2007). Accessed October 9, 2007.
- "Hugh Clifford Dye (obituary)." (July 23, 2020). The Birmingham News.
External Links
- Jackie Dye, Certified Trainer at the Gurian Institute, Education Division web site