‘Can’t be duplicated.’ Beloved Macon principal retiring after 30+ years in school district

Julia Daniely spent her entire 32-year education career at Bibb County Schools, where she has impacted hundreds of students’ lives and helped close learning gaps.

Thursday marks the SOAR Academy principal’s last day with the district — at least internally. Now, she’s ready for a new challenge.

“I’m ready to let go,” she said. “I know that I’m leaving the school in good hands. I know that the work will continue.”

As director of personalized learning and alternative education, Daniely managed all non-traditional programs for students in the BCSD and worked directly with at-risk youth, some of whom were homicide victims or suspects.

The East Macon native said she knows what it takes to be an effective and fervent leader, attributing her overall community impact to her obedience to God, innovative thinking and a deep passion for helping children.

Looking back at her tenure, Daniely emphasized the importance of individualized instruction, forgiveness and giving students a voice. It’s a leadership style that gained education accolades and community support when the district was in search of a new superintendent in 2022.

“I thought outside the box. What I’m finding in education is that everybody wants to remain comfortable, but that won’t move anything,” she said. “I’ve never been one to wait for things to happen or watch things happen.”

VIP Academy senior Nadia Thomas, who has been under Daniely’s leadership since her junior year, said the departure feels bittersweet.

“I literally cried when I found out that she was leaving. I’ve never met a principal like her,” Thomas said, adding that Daniely gave her hope during a difficult time in her life. “A lot of kids are labeled in normal schools. I was even labeled as a bad kid, but Dr. Daniely never gave up on us.”

Turning tides in Macon

Daniely, who struggled with reading until her early 20s, aspired to become the first female manager of a local Piggly Wiggly. She had no desire to pursue a career in education.

Daniely’s personal literacy challenges, combined with a professor’s encouragement, motivated her to implement non-traditional strategies such as night classes and virtual lessons at Northeast, Rutland, and Westside high schools, she said.

One of her most notable leadership accomplishments was improving the reputation of Westside High School, which she said had a 45% graduation rate and the highest level of gang participation in the district in the 2010s.

“I lost a lot of kids to gun violence,” Daniely said before sighing. “Just seeing children on a Friday and they not make it back Monday. I didn’t want to get to the point where it became normal for me to lose children to the streets.”

Daniely said she noticed that all of the students who were homicide victims or suspects at the time attended the district’s alternative school.

While many believed it was a “crazy move,” she said she could get in front of the city’s problem and stop it by becoming the new leader of SOAR Academy in 2018. VIP Academy, a virtual K-12 program, was established later.

Macon resident Takethia Dugger said she often worried about the fate of her two daughters at Westside High, but Daniely’s leadership provided reassurance, allowing them to graduate and avoid harmful community influences such as staying out late, skipping school and doing drugs.

“She will be missed in the school system. Her leaving is going to be huge for parents who actually need somebody to advocate for them and their children,” Dugger said. “She can’t be duplicated, I don’t think. It’s disappointing, but I’m also happy for her because I know she has served her purpose.”

Post-retirement plans

Amanda Faircloth said her son was going in the wrong direction mentally after he had a negative experience in the school district. She credited Daniely’s unwavering support for his academic turnaround at VIP Academy.

Although she was sad about the retirement news, Faircloth said she can’t imagine Daniely leaving the students cold turkey.

“She ain’t gon’ sit down,” Faircloth said. “She’s just retiring from the school. She’s not leaving them entirely because she’s not that type of person. She’s always doing something to help the community and our kids.”

Daniely said the decision to leave will allow her to devote more time to her 98-year-old mother, but she also has plans to venture out into community advocacy — fighting for children and women’s issues from another angle.

“I have a lot of more work in me,” Daniely said, noting that she also wants to address community issues, such as poverty, gang violence and fatherlessness.

Daniely also wants to restore leadership in the central Georgia area, helping leaders develop what she calls a “lead like an eagle, think like a lion” type of mentality.

In her absence, Daniely hopes Bibb County Schools will keep building leadership and transparency and foster a partnership with the community that allows everyone to hold each other accountable.

“I feel blessed,” she said. “All of this was just preparation for the next level.”

This story was originally published October 31, 2024 at 7:51 AM.