Mincey’s Musings Year Two, Week Eleven

Knute Rockne was once asked why Notre Dame had lost a game. He replied, “I won’t know until my barber tells me on Monday.

If memory serves me correctly, the then sitting Union County Board of Education ousted sitting Director of Schools David F. Coppock in spring, 2001. Three months later, a new director, Dr. James Pratt from Albertville, Alabama had been hired. It was Dr. Pratt’s philosophy to let principals hire their own teachers and to make very few changes his first year in office. He did make at least one change during his second and final year—he moved me from principal at Sharps Chapel to principal at Luttrell.

So, how did I do as principal at Sharps Chapel? Good enough to be sent to Luttrell Elementary as principal.

Dr. Pratt left the Union County School System after two years. He was replaced by Charles E. Thomas from Hendersonville, North Carolina. Mr. Thomas had been a principal for many years, and he accordingly believed that there was no more important position in the school system than that of principal. The first thing Mr. Thomas did was to post every school and central office administrative position in the county.

I had at this point worked for the Union County School System for sixteen years, had served in one teacher and two administrative positions, and had never been interviewed. Now, I was, with every other administrator applicant, to be interviewed by the new sheriff in town. I was told in my interview that each applicant would be called in and given our assignment for the 2003-2004 school year on a given Friday.

I arrived at my appointed time on that Friday to receive my assignment. How well did I interview? Good enough to be reassigned from Luttrell to Maynardville Elementary not as principal, but as assistant principal. I asked the name of the principal under which I would serve, and was not told. I asked who was replacing me at Luttrell, and again was not told, except that it would be someone of which Mr. Thomas was sure I would approve.

I was told to tell no one what my new assignment was, only my spouse in strictest confidence, as there was one applicant who was going to be moved from administrator back to the classroom. This individual was on vacation and would not be informed until the following week, and the director wanted to deliver this news personally as he had to the rest of us.

I have lived in Union County all my life, and I determined to say not a word and see who would be the first to tell me what I already knew.

Less than twenty-four hours later, on Saturday, my new supervisor, Maynardville Elementary Principal Mark A. Roberts, called to congratulate and welcome me as his assistant.
Less than forty-eight hours after hearing the news for the first time, on Sunday morning in the First Baptist Church choir a deacon told me; he heard it from his son, who had heard it from so and so, who heard it from so and so, etc.

I had a very enjoyable year of rest from major decision-making at Maynardville Elementary. The following year I was reassigned to the Central Office as Supervisor of Elementary Curriculum, and then the following year to Supervisor of Federal Programs.

For five years I had a different job each year: Sharps Chapel Elementary Principal (2001-2002); Luttrell Elementary Principal (2002-2003); Maynardville Elementary assistant principal (2003-2004); elementary supervisor (2004-2005); and federal programs supervisor (2005 to the present). Ol’ Abe got so used to moving that all I had to do was open the back door of the car and say, “Get in here,” and all his pictures would jump in their boxes to get ready for the move to the next destination.

My first college roommate, Walter “Corky” Sawchuk, came to visit me after the last move. Truth be told, he wasn’t really visiting me. He came all the way from Cincinnati, Ohio to get a picture of the sign marking Luttrell as the home of Kenny Chesney. His significant other was crazy about Kenny Chesney, and he wanted to surprise and impress her with the picture. When I told Corky about all my job changes, he asked, “Ron, are you really that good or is it just that they can’t figure out what to do with you?” I replied with a smile, “I’m just that good.”

This Week’s Wisdom from the Internet:

Harry Neale, a professional hockey coach, once said,
"Last year we couldn't win at home and we were losing on the road. 
My failure as a coach was that I couldn't think of anyplace else to play.”