On the Sept. 5th premiere of the television show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, Superintendent Cox won $1 million by answering the question "Who was the longest reigning British Monarch?" After a very thoughtful deliberation the superintendent correctly answered "Queen Victoria," who reigned for 63 years.

Over the summer the superintendent was approached by the show to see if she would be interested in being a contestant. After a great deal of thought, she accepted the invitation to go on "5th Grader" because it is a family-friendly show that promotes the importance of education in a fun way and it is hosted by one of Georgia's favorite sons, Jeff Foxworthy. It was also a chance to bring some positive attention to Georgia schools and school systems.

Even better than winning the show is what she plans to do with the money. Here’s an excerpt from a thank you letter she has sent to those who have offered messages of support:

I am very pleased that through this appearance, we'll be able to enhance the educational experience for the students at our three State Schools: The Georgia Academy for the Blind, the Atlanta-Area School for the Deaf and the Georgia School for the Deaf.

Above anything else, I hope what people remember from my appearance on the show is the bigger message to the children of Georgia regarding the importance of getting a high school diploma. I want them to make a commitment to stay in school -- to "go for it" and lock it in -- because no one can ever take away their education.

This has been an exciting time for me and my family and I am pleased that I can share it with you and the people of the great state of Georgia. I'm also excited to represent, in a small way, Georgia's amazing professional educators. They are the ones who are so deserving of our thanks and recognition for the hard work they do every day.