Principal Reflections

Once again, it seems time to reflect upon all the principals I have worked for through my 27 years in the teaching profession:
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1. Robert Higgins:  This was the first man to hire me as a teacher.  Mr. Higgins was akin to Morgan Freeman's portrayal of a high school principal in Lean on Me.  In my interview, he (Higgins, not Freeman) asked me what kind of car I drove.  Since I owned a Ford, he hired me, since "they" tended to steal Chrysler products from the playground/parking lot.
2. Robert Shelton:  This was the man who taught me what a lesson really is.  He quickly determined that I was unprepared for my classroom, but with quick coaching, he also figured out I was easily trainable.  Shelton is the reason I often ask my class to respond in unison rather than call on an individual (both overtly and covertly).  I also started thinking about high-order questioning under his tutelage.
3. Gary Blevins:  Blevins is the man who gave me responsibility and authority.  I was his lead teacher, in charge of the building any time he was out.  He confided many things to me and spoke to me as an equal and a friend. Under Blevins, I made schoolwide decisions concerning parents, students, and other teachers.
4. John Williams:  Williams is the principal who hired me at Cecil Floyd.  He told me, one time, that if he were to ever return to the classroom, he would choose to be a teacher like me.  He was also the first principal to write a suggestion for improvement on my evaluation.
5. Dr. Price:  Price was our principal for about a week before being removed from his position.  He wrote nice notes to me about my hallway bulletin board.  While many were afraid of Price, he never had a negative word to say to me - at least not to my face.
6. Janice Southwick:  Mrs. Southwick was the first female principal for whom I ever worked.  She was experienced as a leader and commanded respect among parents.
7. Steve Jones:  Jones taught me what it was like to slow down and to be calm.  Nothing seemed to rattle him in his potentially stressful role as a leader.  I have had a hand in teaching a couple of his grandsons, as well. We still see Jones, from time to time, as a substitute in our classrooms at Cecil Floyd.
8. Evan Mense:  A couple of years before Mense came to Cecil Floyd as our principal, he served as our assistant principal.  In between, he was the principal at Kelsey Norman.  Mense enjoyed having a good time, and administrators respected him.
9. Doug Adams:  Mr. Adams returned to the role of principal after his retirement from one of our other elementary schools.  He brought some degree of moral clarity to our staff and served to "right the ship" of our building following some rough seas.
10. Elaina Edman:  Replacing Mense and Adams was Edman, promoted from assistant principal after being an art teacher for several years.  Edman was energetic and her mind seemed to be constantly in high gear. She was driven by her compassion for children.
11. Gayle Hennessey:  Ms. Hennessey was the right person during some trying times in our district.  She gave me the gift of empowerment before that was a buzz word.  In the few years Hennessey was with us, she helped our school unify and encouraged me to become a leader once again.
12. Chris Bozarth:  Mr. Bozarth arrived in 2016.  With experience as a high school and middle administrator, Bozarth also has a degree in Health and Physical Education.  He is a strong, church-going family man and strives to be servant-minded.  He is supportive and personable, and he has brought our Cecil Floyd family to new levels of understanding and trust.  When I retire in 2022, Mr. Bozarth (Chris) will move on to another job as a consultant for the Southwest Center for Educational Excellence in Webb City, Missouri.  I hope to continue working with this good man in some capacity the future [revised, 4/22/22].

There you have them:  12 principals in 32 years - and that doesn't count the numerous assistant principals and summer school principals [revised, 4/22/22].

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