By Blake Drummond

For the Enquirer

Each year the ACT organization recognizes one educator from the K-12 division as the ACT College and Career Readiness Champion for the state. The organization recognizes individuals who are making positive impacts on the students and communities of their schools.

Getting students prepared for success is no small feat, so taking time to let these teachers, educators and administrators know they are doing something right is important to Hartselle High School’s very own principal, Jeff Hyche, who was recognized as the ACT College and Career Readiness champion for the state of Alabama.

Hyche has been the principal at Hartselle High School for 10 years now, before which he was at Hillcrest of Tuscaloosa for 18 years. Of those 28 years, he has been a school administrator for 25. He has a law degree and did some work in Washington.

His father was a superintendent, so he said he has always been around educators and administrators. As a young man, he said he had a calling and knew he wanted to do better, to make a difference, so he answered his calling to be an administrator – and that is what he has been doing ever since.

Since his time at Hartselle High School, Hyche has expanded countless programs at the school and offered numerous opportunities for students with AP and dual enrollment classes. Where there used to only be one class offered, there are now 24 classes offered in AP and dual enrollment. This alone has saved parents of the community thousands of dollars for college because these students can acquire more college credits before even graduating high school.

He has also achieved growth in the Career Tech Program and the Career Academies program at HHS.

Hyche said he feels as though he has been able to reach more children on a larger scale because of the roll he plays in their lives. He said any time faculty and administrators can step in and not let a student get sidetracked with life – to keep them on the right track to bettering themselves and being successful – then he feels like he and his team have done their jobs.

Hyche also said defining moments in teachers’ and administrators’ lives happen every day because they wear so many different hats doing what they do. He said they are parents, social workers and so much more for these students, and his goal will always be to advocate for the students to have the brightest and most successful futures they can possibly achieve.

Although Hyche is the person being recognized, he said he doesn’t think of it as a single person action. He said it’s a team of people who have helped and continue to help these students, and there is no way he could do it alone.

“It validates what we’re trying to do as a team. It’s a whole team effort,” he said. “It lets us know that someone else recognizes that we’re doing something right.”

Jeff Hyche