Ms. Dixon's Biography
Ms. Dixon became principal of Paint Branch in July of 2001. She was born in New York City on December 20th. She spent the first 10 years of her life in Bermuda, which is where her parents were born and most of her family still lives. The opportunity to live overseas in Lebanon, Jamaica, and Hungary and travel to England, Germany, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Canada has given her an added appreciation of diverse cultures.
Ms. Dixon is a graduate of American University (BA History) and Loyola College (M. Ed Administration and Supervision).
Prior to becoming principal at Paint Branch, Ms. Dixon served as the principal of White Oak Middle School for four years. Over the last eight years as Paint Branch’s principal, Ms. Dixon has worked to develop a rigorous instructional program in an environment that is nurturing and disciplined in order to prepare students for the challenges of college and the working world of the 21st Century. In 2001, she received the IC (Interagency Coordinating Board) Outstanding School Administrator Award. She is also a recipient of the Board of Education's "Woman Who Dares, Paving the Way to the New Millennium" Certificate of Recognition for Women's History Month in 2000.
On April 26, 2009, Ms. Dixon was awarded the first NAACP-MCPS Outstanding Principal Award.
In 2011, Ms. Dixon won the Educator of the Year award from the Maryland PTA. This award is given to an educator who has fostered relationships between parents, schools, and the community and has shown outstanding commitment of the Purposes of the PTA.
Ms. Dixon’s achievements include the implementation of the following programs at Paint Branch:
- Gilder Lehrman American History Scholars Program
- Rebecca F. Baber Academy of Finance Program
- NJROTC Program
- $1.4 million Smaller Learning Communities Grant (shared with Blake HS)
- Pharmacy Program
- AP Program and Fair - Resulting in an increased number of students taking advanced placement courses and recognition by the College Board of the Class of 2008 leading the nation in African American students scoring 3 or higher on the AP World History exam.
- One lunch LAP (Lunch Activity Period)
- Senior Unity Day
- Top Scholars Dinner
- Panther of the Month Awards
- Guiding the Modernization Process for the new Paint Branch High School to be completed in 2012
Ms. Dixon has two children, Christopher (Springbrook, Class of 1990) and Carolyn (a 1996 Paint Branch graduate and 2000 graduate of Bryn Mawr College), four grandchildren -- three granddaughters and a grandson -- and two yellow Labrador retrievers. She loves reading; going to the theater and movies; collecting postcards, campaign buttons, famous autographs, and stamps; listening to music (easy listening), visiting museums and historical places; and watching C-SPAN. She is also a basketball (high school and college) and baseball fan. Her favorite baseball team is the New York Yankees.