Area principals reflect on first year of service By MATT ARMES Staff Writer
The first year in any new job is often the most difficult. But it allows one to reflect on personal and professional growth - especially in the field of education.
Four principals of Bowie schools recently completed their first year of service to students, parents and the community and now face a summer of reflection and preparation for the next school year.
"One of the great things about working in education is there is a beginning and an end, and you don't get that in other types of jobs," said Tulip Grove Elementary Principal Brian Baudoin.
"We have a defined year and a unique opportunity to set goals and work with children, and it does provide interesting time for reflection."
Northview Elementary Principal Judy Bissett reflected on the initial difficulty she faced as the school opened its doors for the first time last August.
"While there were many challenges to opening a brand new school, the school year closed out so beautifully that I'm already very excited about the prospects for next year," she said.
Bowie High School Principal Jane Spence shared the same sentiment.
"There's definitely enough from this year to inform us about the work we'll have for next year," she said.
"I thought this year was a brush stroke," she added. "We did a good job this year, and we will continue getting the framework in place for a better high school next year."
High Bridge Elementary Principal Chuck Eller described his year as good overall but quite rocky in the opening quarter.
"When we lost one of our teachers in a tragic auto accident in October, it was really rough," he said. "But I thought we came together really well around that. I thought our kids did well, our teachers did well and our school did well."
Each principal shared several unique highlights of his or her first year, and from a giant chicken suit to the high school's carnival, it was a busy, colorful school year for all of them.
"The planting of 1,000 tulips was fun because it was a large goal that required everyone to work together," Baudoin explained. "And wearing the chicken suit after the kids reached their fall fund-raising goal was just as enjoyable."
Baudoin credited the school's Parent Teacher Association for its role in connecting him with other parents and helping him adjust to the atmosphere of the school and surrounding community.
"Before the year began, I knew that Tulip Grove was a great school," he added, "but I didn't dream it would be this good."
Spence cited the Bowie High carnival in late May as "easily" her favorite moment of the school year.
"Why? Because I got to see the kids the way the world wants us to see them," she explained. "They were so happy. They are good kids who are able to do good deeds regularly."
Eller and Bissett both mentioned their relationships with students as their top highlight over the past 10 months.
"One of the most enjoyable parts of my day was positioning myself in the hallway at the beginning of the day and seeing every child walking into the building," he said.
"You get a general sense of how they were feeling on a particular day, and you can spot those kids that need a pat on the back and a friendly 'Hello.' "
Bissett added, "As the school year progressed, the camaraderie between the students, teachers and the parents really led to a sense of 'we're in this together,' which was very gratifying."
The element of surprise may not have sprung onto their desks as often as they might have anticipated. Aside from Eller, the other three principals listed issues that threw them for a loop.
"The logistics of getting the school building, the materials and the technology all in place was a challenge of huge proportions," Bissett said. "We had to chip away at it day after day to get it done."
"Our school is 45 years old, and it's a big piece of property," Baudoin said of Tulip Grove. "Keeping up with the maintenance of the school was challenging."
Spence cited staff reductions due to budget cuts as an unforeseen obstacle that caught her off guard.
"Losing teachers is very hard because people are worth far more than their weight in gold here."
While Baudoin said there was very little he would change about the school year if he had the chance, his colleagues all listed communication as the chief issue they wanted to improve.
Eller agreed, saying, "I think you can always communicate more, both with teachers, students and parents. I think if I had to do it over again, I'd do that better."
"I would want the vision to be clearer, and I want to involve everyone a bit more regarding the school improvement plan," Spence stated. "And we also need to hone in on our accountability to students, to teachers and to the staff."
"I just think it took patience to sit back and let everything unfold in a way that was productive and efficient," Bissett added. "Here we had to establish everything, and I saw that I had to be patient and not expect everything to happen in a day."
All four principals said they reached the goals they had set for themselves at the beginning of the school year, which provided them with a sense of optimism heading into the summer and later into the fall.
"Before this year began, Tulip Grove had all the elements of the perfect storm: losing half its staff and adding a new principal," Baudoin said.
"One of my goals was not allowing that to happen, which involved meeting with parents early in the year and building relationships and a sense of community from day one."
Spence also touched on the importance of community, saying, "We made it our goal to listen to students, and we also wanted to have a climate of excellence. That's what parents expect out of me and out of the school, which is what I wanted."
Eller added, "I thought of myself more as a coach on the staff. Just like a sports coach does, I wanted to observe the talents of our players and try to move pieces around to make us better."
With the completion of their first year of service, all four principals said they were looking forward to spending time with family during a week of vacation at some point during the summer, in addition to participating in various leadership programs.
"I'm hoping to spend a little bit of time on the beach, set my sights on next year and see where we're going next," Bissett said.
Baudoin added, "Education is a very rewarding job, but you do want to leave everything out there."
