🎵 2022-09-08 ​​04:18:00 – Paris/France.
REXBURG — There's a common theme when people talk about Scott Shirley, who recently retired as principal of Lincoln Elementary School in Rexburg after 35 years with the Madison School District.
"Mr. Shirley knew each student by name, took the time to greet them each morning with a thumbs up or a high five, and was genuinely concerned about each one of them," says Amber Wolford, a teacher at Lincoln.
The parents noticed it too.
“Mr. Shirley always knew the names of my children and remembered that they belonged to me,” says Jessica Hansen. “He knew who they were. Not because they were in trouble and had been sent to the principal's office. He knew them because they were his students whom he cared for and loved. It's just who he is.
Shirley's ability to remember her students by name extended beyond the years they were her students.
“You can tell Mr. Shirley loves his job and the students,” says Elaine Lake. “He knew all the names of my children and still asks me how they are, years after he left Lincoln. »
Mr. Shirley's talent for names was intentional. It's a way for him to show Lincoln's children that they were important to him.
“What probably helped me was that I tried to learn all the kids' names,” Shirley says. “If they know my name, I should know theirs. The kids appreciated that I knew their names, and not just because they got into trouble.
Scott Shirley was well-liked by his students at Lincoln Elementary in Rexburg. He recently retired as principal after 35 years in the Madison School District. | Courtesy of Amber Wolford
Shirley grew up a few miles away in Sugar City. As a child, he loved sports but did not consider himself one of the best.
"I was good enough to make the team but not good enough to really play," he said. “About our second year, we organized a rock 'n' roll band. We did the trick and we actually made money in the 60s.”
His love and talent for music was an asset to his long career in the Madison School District.
"Music has been a big part of my life," he says. “I play several instruments. It is convenient to entertain children with.
Shirley began his career in the district about 35 years ago when he was hired as an assistant at Archer Elementary.
After graduating from college, he already had a teaching job at Lyman Elementary.
“The district actually offered me a contract before I graduated, so I thought that was pretty cool,” he says.
Over the next few years, Shirley was promoted to principal, then education administrator at Archer Elementary, then spent some time as principal of Archer and Lyman Elementary Schools. He was asked to add Burton to the roster when school was new, and he agreed to try it out for a week.
“For a week I tried to work with three staff members, three PTOs and tried to have faculty meetings,” he says. “I was always on the road between these three schools. »
He decided that “three schools was too many”.
Then he spent seven years as principal at Kennedy Elementary, then a few years at Hibbard, followed by three years as vice-principal at Madison Middle School. Finally, Shirley ended her administrative career with nine years at Lincoln Elementary.
“I went to just about every school,” he says. “Parents have been amazing everywhere I've been. Amazing kids come from amazing parents. … It's about children and parents. Parents are our customers and we like to try to keep them happy as much as possible. It is their school.
Shirley says it was essential to help the children be thrilled to be there.
“When children get up in the morning, they are excited to go to school,” he says. “If we can do that, then everything else seems to fall into place. »
Shirley says it's easy to get caught up in the procedural side of things, but doing your best to get to know each student was more important.
Scott Shirley retired as principal of Lincoln Elementary in Rexburg after 35 years in the district as a teacher and administrator. He is known to learn the names of all his students. | Courtesy of Beth Martinez.
“Knowing something about children is money in the bank,” he says. “Children should be happy to come to school every day. If they are not, we sleep at the switch.
Shirley placed great importance on hiring quality teachers and staff.
“My motto has always been to hire people smarter and more talented than me, and that hasn't been a problem,” he says. “After hiring people smarter and more talented than me, I provide them with the training materials and the time they need to do their jobs. I'm not one to micromanage. I didn't like being micro-managed in every job I ever had, so I give teachers a lot of leeway, and it pays off.
Shirley retired as principal at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, but he is not done. He will still work for the district, making instructional videos and being available to fill in for school administrators as needed.
Lincoln's new principal is replaced by Dr. Josh Beattie, who was most recently assistant principal at Burton Elementary. Shirley says the school and the students would be in good hands with Beattie.
“When you're a director, it's not about you, it's about the kids,” says Shirley. “So what we do is we carry the baton like a relay race, and when it's time to pass the baton, you pass the baton to the next person, and they go away with renewed energy. »
Beattie spent 17 years as a school psychologist before moving into administration. He says he is happy with the change because it allows him to get to know the students on a more personal level.
"I'm super excited," he said. “As a school psychologist, I went to many schools and didn't get to know the kids or the faculty. Now I'm getting to know the kids and their names, and they're getting to know me, so I love it.
SOURCE: Reviews News
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