The State Board of Education has named Bernadette Pletcher of Palmetto's Tillman Elementary the Assistant Principal of the Year in the State of Florida.

“It is a great honor, one that I share with all of my colleagues,” Ms. Pletcher said. “This award speaks volumes about what we are able to achieve in Manatee County. I want to especially thank my principal, Marla Massi-Blackmore, for her strong leadership, and Superintendent Cynthia Saunders for providing the latitude that allowed us to achieve at a high level.”

Working in close collaboration with Ms. Massi-Blackmore and the teachers and staff at Tillman, Ms. Pletcher helped guide the Title I school in a small neighborhood in Palmetto to rise academically from an F grade in 2015-2016 to a B grade in 2016-2017. The school maintained its B grade in 2017-2018.

The Outstanding Assistant Principal Achievement Award was established in 1997 to honor assistant principals that have utilized teamwork and leadership to increase student achievement and greatly improved school environments.