Meet Assistant Principal of the Year Sarah Dobbs

Assistant Principal Sarah Dobbs works with Delilah Connelly, 7, in Barbara Godwin’s first grade classroom at Oakcrest Elementary School in Ocala, Fla. on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. Principal Christine Sandy and Assistant Principal Sarah Dobbs at Oakcrest were recently chosen as the Marion County Administrators of the Year. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

For Sarah Dobbs, Marion County’s newly crowned Assistant Principal of the Year, each school day is akin to going home.

Oakcrest Elementary School, where she’s been since 2019, is nearby Vanguard High School, Dobb’s beloved alma mater and old stomping ground.

“The first thing I said when I got assigned here was, ‘this is my neck of the woods, I know all the hotspots,’” said Dobbs, 33.

“I love it here,” she said. “I went to school with many of our student’s parents so we’ve known each other for years and it makes things a little easier.”

A native of Marion County, Dobbs also attended Madison Street Academy and Fort King Middle schools before attending the College of Central Florida, and the University of South Florida, where she earned an education degree.

While at Oakcrest, a struggling school with 450 mostly-minority and economically disadvantaged students, that has consistently garnered D grades from the state, Dobbs has met the challenges with grit and moxie.

The school last year initiated some changes and made improvements and earlier this year earned a coveted C grade. Christine Sandy, a seasoned veteran of Marion County schools was assigned as principal of Oakcrest in June and was recently named Principal of the Year, a rare but welcome double accolade for the school.

Getting to that C grade has been hard for Oakcrest’s teachers and administrators.

“It’s been an uphill battle,” said Dobbs of Oakcrest’s challenges. “We had an external operator last year and everyone had to teach like they were on fire.”

“This is my third year at Oakcrest, when I arrived, we were a D school,” she said. “Now we’ve got a C grade and that is significant.”

Dobbs, Marion County’s Rookie of the Year in 2014, joined the district in 2010 and caught the educator bug while still in high school, soon realizing teaching was her calling.

“I was in the Future Educators of America Club and took a teacher’s assistant class and just fell in love with it,” said Dobb, 33 who has two sons with her firefighter husband, Joshua Dobbs.

“I love teaching and the way kids light up when they’ve learned something new,” she said.

Dobbs didn’t think she’d ever be an administrator, but deeply appreciates her peers who encouraged her to take on a leadership position.

“It’s interesting to be spring-boarded from teaching to where I am now,” she said. “I’m grateful for those that pushed and cheered me along.”

Oakcrest’s rare double achievement as having the Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year has been uplifting for everyone involved, said Dobbs.

“This is great for Oakcrest because people have had a negative perception of it for some time,” said Dobbs. “Neither of us got into education for the accolades; Christine is a wonderful role model.”

The students have been especially excited for the two administrators.

“We’re celebrities on campus; it’s been fun,” she said. “It’s been an enjoyable claim to fame.”