Moving with purpose and pride: Dr. Makeba Clark arrives at Cedar Shoals

Education was not Principal Makeba Clark’s first choice as a career. She originally worked as a medical laboratory technician, but her path eventually changed.

“I was working in the hospital, in a lab, where I was in the chemistry department and the microbiology department. So I ran lab tests. I was also helping my younger brother with his homework and then that’s when I decided to go into education. I’ve been in it ever since,” Clark said.

Leaving her position as principal at Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School, Clark brings her 15 years of experience in administration to Cedar Shoals High School. Working in a high school for the first time has led her to adjust her approach to administration.

“The adjustment has been more of loosening up a little bit. With high school, while you still need some close supervision of students, because they’re still young adults and they can make decisions that are not the best, many of the students are mature and able to execute different tasks independently. Whereas in middle school, there’s a lot more supervision,” Clark said.

Clark served as principal at Burney-Harris Lyons for seven years, and was also assistant principal there for three years prior.

“I’ve been on the end where you see the kids at elementary, then middle now and high school, and they are almost like this transformed human being who’s about to go into the real world. You see them making plans for life after high school, and you see them going to class, to work, participating in different activities and leading many of the club meetings.” 

At BHL, Clark successfully implemented policies that improved the school climate. Some of those include implementing the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) program, staggered dismissal, providing mentors for students, and celebrating well behaved students. Last year, BHL had a low number of fights and was named a PBIS distinguished school in 2024. Clark intends to enact the same changes in Cedar Shoals.

“We had class meetings at the beginning of the school year where we talked about the code of conduct and about consequences just to make sure that kids were informed and that they know what happens if you do certain things, really addressing those students that are habitual violators. With the other students who do what they’re supposed to do, we tell them ‘hey, let’s have fun.” Clark said.

Along with leading Cedar Shoals, Clark also serves as the president of the Athens Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., organizing community service projects with the group.

“We did two voter registration drives here at Cedar, and we had one in Jackson County where we would share information about voter education and then mental health,” Clark said. “We’ve done a lot of donations where we help the family in Walton County and we support families around the holidays, we do a big toy drive and donate to families that we’ve identified as needing support.” 

Clark approaches each school year with a vision for the staff, students and the school to reach throughout the year. This year, Clark is focusing on improving the culture and climate of the school through the theme of “moving with purpose and pride.”

“We want to continue making sure that graduation rate increases and that the amount 

of minority students enrolled in rigorous courses increases. My main focus this year is definitely on culture and climate so that students feel safe, faculty and staff feel safe and supported, and that they enjoy coming to school,” Clark said.

Clark draws her inspiration to uplift minority students from her great grandmother who did not have access to education due to segregation, learning to read using the Bible.

“(My great grandmother) always encouraged all of her grandkids to be better than the generation before us, to always work hard and strive to have more than what they could ever imagine,” Clark said.

Growing up, Clark saw her mother working to support her and her siblings, which helped her also learn to do hard work.

“I feel like my work ethic came from my mom,” Clark said. “My mom worked at a factory when I was young, and when I could get my first job, I went and worked at the factory with my mom. I would do that during the summers.”

WHAT’S CHANGED?

According to the Clarke County School District dashboard, this time last year there was an  average of 11.6 fighting referrals a month. Now, that number is 6.3. Senior Meneika Ellison says the fewer fights she has noticed under Clark’s administration has positively impacted her school experience. 

“There have been less altercations. I’ve noticed just less things going wrong in general,” Ellison said. “It does definitely make (school) a lot more of a calm experience. I can remember back in freshman and sophomore year being stressed out because there was constantly something going on.”

This year, students wait to be dismissed at the end of the day instead of everyone exiting at once. Ellison thinks that staggered dismissal this year has made the end of the day easier.

“I do agree with the staggered dismissals to keep people from getting into fights, and it honestly does make it easier for certain people to get out of school. I remember it taking me 20 minutes to get off campus (last year),” Ellison said.

Sophomore Jack Justice agrees that Clark has been effective in implementing policies that benefit Cedar Shoals.

“She has created more strict policies and they are working,” Justice said. “I do think that she’s doing a good job on the new policies and cutting back on school fights and drug problems.”

Clark herself has also noticed the results of the changes made under her administration.

“I stand in the hallways during class and it’s quiet. When I walk into classrooms, I see students actually engaged in the work, doing the work,” Clark said. “When we look at the different cohorts from attendance from last year to this year, attendance is trending upward.”

Science teacher Jackie Elder appreciates the increased organization and communication that has come with the new administration.

“She gives us a weekly list of everything that’s happening during the week. I never got that before, so it’s nice to know when you get up on a Monday what your week is gonna look like,” Elder said.

She also enjoys the emphasis there has been on teacher leadership this year.

“She does delegate, gives people responsibilities,” Elder said. “You know, it’s not just her managing or anything. She wants us to be leaders.”

Associate Principal of Instruction James Price feels that Clark has improved the productivity of the teachers and staff.

“She’s like a superhero. Every day she gets up at the crack of dawn, and she’s working from the time she wakes up to the time she lays down, which motivates me to work harder. She leads with purpose. She communicates what she wants to see, she gives great feedback, and she’s very clear and intentional with that,” Price said.

This positive change so far has left Price feeling optimistic about the future of Cedar Shoals.

“I have a very positive feeling about it. I’m excited to come to work because I know that she’s going to give 100%, and it makes me want to make sure that I’m giving 100% as well,” Price said.

Clark is also optimistic about her future at Cedar Shoals and the relationships to be made with students.

“I want them to view me as that principal who, while she may be tough, she also loves her kids, she loves her students, she loves her staff. While she means business, she cares, and she wants to make sure that students at Cedar have the opportunities as any other blue ribbon school,” Clark said.