[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 73 (Friday, April 17, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING DR. MARGIE BROWN PULLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 17, 2020

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. 
Margie Brown Pulley.
  Dr. Margie Brown Pulley is a lifelong resident of Greenwood and 
Leflore County. She is a 1971 honor graduate of Amanda Elzy High 
School. At Amanda Elzy, Dr. Pulley excelled both academically and 
athletically. She was captain of the 1970 Amanda Elzy girl's state 
championship basketball team. In September 1971, she entered Jackson 
State University, and three years later in May 1974, she graduated with 
honors with a B.S. degree in Social Science. She later received her 
Master's, Specialist, and Doctorate degrees in School Administration 
from Delta State University.
  Dr. Pulley spent thirty-eight (38) years working with the Greenwood 
Public School District. Her professional career began in 1974 as a 
teacher of Social Studies at Greenwood High School. During the next 
fifteen (15) years, Dr. Pulley taught Mississippi History, World 
History, U.S. History, and Government and Economics. She also later 
served as Assistant Principal at Greenwood High School. From 1990 until 
1999, she served as the Principal of Threadgill School. According to 
Dr. Pulley, that experience as principal was both challenging and 
rewarding. At Threadgill, Dr. Pulley set high expectations for herself, 
her faculty and her students. Under Dr. Pulley's administration as 
principal of Threadgill, the culture, climate and academic achievement 
improved significantly. She is proud to say that her tenure as 
Principal at Threadgill was a major highlight in her career. In 1999, 
Dr. Pulley became Assistant Superintendent of the Greenwood Public 
School District. In this capacity Dr. Pulley worked passionately with 
principals to ensure that faculty, staff, and students' needs were met. 
She specifically directed Federal Programs, Personnel, Curriculum and 
Technology. In July 2008, Dr. Pulley was appointed Interim 
Superintendent of the Greenwood Public School District. In January 
2009, she was named Superintendent of the Greenwood Public School 
District. Under Dr. Pulley's leadership, the school district received 
district-wide SACS accreditation, implemented a dress code, modified 
the grading system to a 10 point scale, brought dual enrollment from 
Mississippi Valley State University to Greenwood High School, 
restructured the athletic program and significantly improved student 
achievement by placing academics first. Ultimately, according to the 
State Department of Education, the Greenwood Public School District was 
rated as a `Successful School District for Three Years in a Row': 2009-
2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012'. The school district was also presented 
The TORCH Award by the Mississippi School Boards Association. Further, 
under her leadership, the Mississippi Teacher of the Year was selected 
from Greenwood High School, and Bankston Elementary School was named as 
a National Blue-Ribbon School.
  Dr. Pulley retired in 2012 and was later named as Conservator of the 
Oktibbeha County School District. Dr. Pulley successfully cleared all 
accreditation violations and successfully led the consolidation efforts 
of the Oktibbeha County School District with the Starkville School 
District. Oktibbeha County Schools was rated a ``C'' school district.
  In July 2015, Dr. Pulley was named as Conservator in the Tunica 
County School District. Under her leadership, academic achievement has 
improved, and the Tunica County School District has been recognized by 
the Mississippi Department of Education for having the highest 
achievement in the state for math growth among the lowest 25 percent of 
high school students. Additionally, Dundee Elementary has been 
recognized as having the highest achievement in the state for math 
growth among the lowest 25 percent of elementary students. Recently, 
the principals at Dundee Elementary and Rosa Fort High School received 
recognition as finalists for the MS principal of the year. Presently, 
Rosa Fort ranks No. 8 in the state for its graduation rate (93.1 
percent).
  Dr. Pulley has received numerous awards and recognitions which 
includes but are not limited to: National Association of Federal 
Programs Administrators Service Award; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority 
Service Award; Certificate of Achievement from the Yale Child Study 
Center; Administrator of the Year for the Greenwood Public School 
District; Friendship Baptist Church: Badge of Courage Ward (2010); 
Greenwood Voters' League: Lady of the Year (2010); Superintendent of 
the Year: Delta Area Association for the Improvement of Schools (2010); 
Delta's Best in Education Award: 2011; and Shiloh 7th Day Adventist: 
Educator of the Year: 2011.
  Dr. Pulley is a lifelong member of Springhill Baptist Church in the 
Browning Community where she serves as a trustee and church secretary. 
In Dr. Pulley's spare time she loves to attend and watch basketball and 
football games, read, and cook for her entire family every Sunday and 
all holidays. She also takes care of her eighty-eight (88) year old 
mother who lives with her. Dr. Pulley, a widow, was married to the 
former Superintendent of the Leflore County School District, Mr. Cedell 
Pulley. She has three adult sons: Bill, a recreation center director; 
Kelvin, an attorney; and Kenneth, deputy superintendent of schools. She 
also has three beautiful grandchildren: William, Rhaegan, and Morgan, 
and a daughter-in-law, Jessica.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. 
Margie Brown Pulley for her dedication to serving her community and 
this great state.

                          ____________________