Dr. Alyssa Galbreath has become the third principal ever in the history of Battle High School; she grew up around the current Battle area and graduated from Hickman and while she was there she applied to be part of the minority internship which allowed her to shadow teachers, sparking her love for teaching. “I came from a family of educators and wasn’t really sure I wanted to teach until I did the minority internship,” said Dr. Galbreath.
After she graduated she went to Westminster University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Secondary Teaching. After graduating, she served as a MU teaching fellow while beginning her career at West Junior High. She left West to teach math at Hickman and was teaching there when she earned her specialist and doctoral degrees in educational leadership from William Woods University. She left Hickman and worked as an administrative assistant and assistant principal at Gentry Middle School until 2020.
Then she came to Battle and began working here because she wanted to support the community she grew up in. “I see the kids of people I went to school with go to Battle, and I just want to give back to the community I was part of,” she said. Then she began as an assistant principal until now in the 2023-24 school year, she became the principal of Battle High School. Her half-brother Ben Monroe, a Junior said, “I knew that she would be a good principal ever since she wanted to become one, she just wants to follow in our father’s footsteps and be the best that she can be.”
She plans to make Battle a place where students and teachers want to come. She said, “When you have an innate desire to want to come work and learn, then you want to be there and I want this to be a place people want to be.” She wants to help Battle have a positive reputation in the community and move past the post-COVID era by beginning to hold more assemblies and pep rallies as well as other events like the Homecoming parade for the school to raise morale and make this a place that teachers and students want to come to and enjoy being.
Part of what she has done as principal so far is to renew the dress code, hold the first ever Homecoming parade, and make the season passes allowing students to go to every regular season home game for all sports for only forty dollars. Students and teachers alike are optimistic about Dr. Galbreath and her desire to make Battle a better place. Jordan Smith, an English teacher said, “I believe that she’s trying her best to push Battle further, and I’m excited to see how she does going forward.” Junior Ethan Morris said, “I think Dr. Galbreath is very professional, and a great principal, and I believe in her to lead Battle to new heights in the future. I am proud of the way she has conducted our school this year so far. Dr. Galbreath is doing a great job.”
