Wednesday, December 10, 2008
News
New faces
By MICHAEL PETERSON Argus-Press Staff Writer
SHIAWASSEE COUNTY - “Change” has become a major theme for 2008.
Change cannot only be seen on a national level, but it has become a common theme locally as well - especially in Shiawassee County schools.
Six new principals have been introduced to area schools this year, and many say they are happy to meet the challenges of leading a school head-on.
Meet the new faces below:
Corunna
Margy Dewey, 50, said she decided to start a career in education because she had always had an eagerness for it - leading her to be hired as the new principal for Corunna Public Schools' Nellie Reed Elementary in August.
“I've always been passionate about learning, school and I love kids,” she said. “I thought this would be an opportunity to share that passion.”
Dewey first taught elementary in Morrice for 10 years. She then taught in Chesaning for 11 years.
She then worked for the Shiawassee Regional Education Service District for a year and a half on a grant project on using school data to make instructional decisions.
“It was always one of my goals to be a building principal at some point,” Dewey said. “It's just a great place to be.”
She attended Michigan State University, earning her bachelor's in elementary education. She also has obtained her administrative master's degree through Saginaw Valley.
She is a married and has three children.
“I think one of the coolest things about being in this position is being able to go from classroom to classroom and to just watchŠIt's incredible to see the growth that they make over the course of time,” she said. “You can really see the end results and all the steps along the way.”
Perry
Robert Belous, 41, said he was inspired to go into education because of a shop teacher he had in high school.
“He was one of those teachers who believed every kid was important and every kid was going to achieve their best,” he said. “He became a role model for me. And in 10th grade, I decided I wanted to become a teacher.”
And now, after about 20 years in education, his career has led him to be the principal of Perry High School, which he started in October.
And while Belous has always been a teacher, coaching is something to which he has devoted much of his career.
“I've pretty much coached everything under the sun in 20 years,” Belous said with a laugh.
He first started teaching and coaching in Gainesville, Fla. In 1997, he taught science and coached in Corunna for two years. He then went to Ovid-Elsie, where he also taught and coached. Next he served as principal at Atherton High School in Burton, and then became the assistant principal at Lapeer West, where he also served as athletic director.
He received his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Central Michigan University. He holds a graduate degree in biology from the University of Michigan and a master's in organizational leadership from Fort Hays State University in Kansas.
He is married with a daughter and son.
Belous said his time so far at Perry has been going very smoothly.
“It's a challenge in a different way - it is a good challenge,” he said. “The staff is so willing to change and is so committed to providing excellence to the kids...My staff keeps me working to provide them with what they need.”
Owosso
Even though Andrea Tuttle began as the principal of Owosso's Central Elementary in August, she's no stranger to the profession. Before coming to Owosso, she was the principal at Nellie Reed for nine years.
Before that, Tuttle, 35, taught fifth grade in Ovid-Elsie for three years, and then went to Corunna were she taught sixth, seventh and eighth grade for one year.
“I don't think there is a better job. The rewards are great,” Tuttle said. “I just enjoy watching kids learn and advance in whatever skills they are successful in.”
She also has done her fair share of coaching - with her main sport being basketball.
Tuttle obtained her bachelor's degree from Alma College. She majored in elementary education and English, with a minor in exercise and health science. She received her master's degree in administration from Central Michigan University, and also earned her doctoral degree in administration and community leadership from Central.
Tuttle said, however, there are many things for which college can't prepare a person.
“Schooling doesn't prepare you for the everyday events of running a school and being a leader,” she said.
She is married with a daughter and son.
Tuttle said there are some challenges that come with switching to a new school district.
“In Corunna, I knew all the parents and all the kids,” Tuttle said. “I am really working hard to get to know all the parents, kids and staff here...It's a fun new process and a change.”
Durand
Durand Area Schools has three new principals this year.
n Doug Lindsay, 33, was approved as the Durand Area High School principal in May.
He admitted while he was at first hesitant about going into education for his career, it was during his sophomore year of college when he caved in and realized that's what he truly wanted to do.
“I was debating whether I instead wanted to go into the medical field,” Lindsay said. “I finally decided, ‘You know what? I don't like science that much.'”
Lindsay also has coached baseball and football.
He obtained his bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan University in math and social science education. Then, while working in the field, he was able to gain his master's degree in educational leadership from Western Michigan University.
“I think my heart was always in education and I was trying to deny it,” Lindsay said. “It gave me and opportunity to coach...and to have an impact in kid's lives.”
His career started at Berrien Springs High school, where he taught math and geography for a total of six years. He then came to Durand Area High School, where he taught math for two years, and then was the high school assistant principal for two years.
He is married with two sons and a daughter.
While Lindsay said he is enjoying his newfound position as principal, he feels he is still adjusting to the transition.
“There is a wider range of things that need to be dealt with,” he said. “But things are still going well.”
n Barb Birchmeier, 45, who was hired as the middle school principal in August, didn't start her career in education. Her family owned the Chesaning Heritage House for 25 years, and she ran the kitchen.
“I worked with a lot of high school kids in the kitchen and I really enjoyed working with them,” Birchmeier said, adding she had always loved government, economics and history.
However, she admitted there were other reasons for the career shift.
“I decided I didn't want to work weekends and holidays for the rest of my life,” she said with a laugh. “I went back and worked full-time, but I was able to get my degree in four years. My husband even started building gazeboes to help pay my way through college.”
She also has two boys and three girls.
Her new career first started with New Lothrop Area Public Schools in 1997, where she taught both middle school and high school for three years. Then, she became New Lothrop's curriculum director for the next six years. After that, she was hired as the assistant principal at Corunna High School, where she stayed for two years.
She got her bachelor's degree in history/social studies and secondary education from Saginaw Valley State University - that also is where she gained her master's degree in educational leadership.
Birchmeier also said the transition to Durand has been going very well.
n Christa Bowman, 34, said once she became the principal of Durand's Wilbur Bills Elementary in August, her career had come “full-circle.”
Her educational career first started with Durand in 2001, where she was a student teacher. After one semester, she was hired full-time.
“I started here as a teacher, and now I am starting here as an administrator,” Bowman said. “This is a great school to be given that opportunity.”
Bowman said she wanted to go into education because she wanted to make an impact on other people's lives.
“I volunteered a lot and saw what a difference I could make,” she said.
She earned her bachelor's degree in education from the University of Michigan-Flint and received her master's in teaching from Marygrove College in Detroit. She earned her master's in administration from U of M-Flint.
Bowman is married with two sons and a daughter.
While she said being a principal is a big time-investment, she doesn't mind.
“Every minute I put in toward it, I seem to get back twice as much,” she said. “I definitely want to continue being an educational leader here in Durand.”
Change cannot only be seen on a national level, but it has become a common theme locally as well - especially in Shiawassee County schools.
Six new principals have been introduced to area schools this year, and many say they are happy to meet the challenges of leading a school head-on.
Meet the new faces below:
Corunna
Margy Dewey, 50, said she decided to start a career in education because she had always had an eagerness for it - leading her to be hired as the new principal for Corunna Public Schools' Nellie Reed Elementary in August.
“I've always been passionate about learning, school and I love kids,” she said. “I thought this would be an opportunity to share that passion.”
Dewey first taught elementary in Morrice for 10 years. She then taught in Chesaning for 11 years.
She then worked for the Shiawassee Regional Education Service District for a year and a half on a grant project on using school data to make instructional decisions.
“It was always one of my goals to be a building principal at some point,” Dewey said. “It's just a great place to be.”
She attended Michigan State University, earning her bachelor's in elementary education. She also has obtained her administrative master's degree through Saginaw Valley.
She is a married and has three children.
“I think one of the coolest things about being in this position is being able to go from classroom to classroom and to just watchŠIt's incredible to see the growth that they make over the course of time,” she said. “You can really see the end results and all the steps along the way.”
Perry
Robert Belous, 41, said he was inspired to go into education because of a shop teacher he had in high school.
“He was one of those teachers who believed every kid was important and every kid was going to achieve their best,” he said. “He became a role model for me. And in 10th grade, I decided I wanted to become a teacher.”
And now, after about 20 years in education, his career has led him to be the principal of Perry High School, which he started in October.
And while Belous has always been a teacher, coaching is something to which he has devoted much of his career.
“I've pretty much coached everything under the sun in 20 years,” Belous said with a laugh.
He first started teaching and coaching in Gainesville, Fla. In 1997, he taught science and coached in Corunna for two years. He then went to Ovid-Elsie, where he also taught and coached. Next he served as principal at Atherton High School in Burton, and then became the assistant principal at Lapeer West, where he also served as athletic director.
He received his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Central Michigan University. He holds a graduate degree in biology from the University of Michigan and a master's in organizational leadership from Fort Hays State University in Kansas.
He is married with a daughter and son.
Belous said his time so far at Perry has been going very smoothly.
“It's a challenge in a different way - it is a good challenge,” he said. “The staff is so willing to change and is so committed to providing excellence to the kids...My staff keeps me working to provide them with what they need.”
Owosso
Even though Andrea Tuttle began as the principal of Owosso's Central Elementary in August, she's no stranger to the profession. Before coming to Owosso, she was the principal at Nellie Reed for nine years.
Before that, Tuttle, 35, taught fifth grade in Ovid-Elsie for three years, and then went to Corunna were she taught sixth, seventh and eighth grade for one year.
“I don't think there is a better job. The rewards are great,” Tuttle said. “I just enjoy watching kids learn and advance in whatever skills they are successful in.”
She also has done her fair share of coaching - with her main sport being basketball.
Tuttle obtained her bachelor's degree from Alma College. She majored in elementary education and English, with a minor in exercise and health science. She received her master's degree in administration from Central Michigan University, and also earned her doctoral degree in administration and community leadership from Central.
Tuttle said, however, there are many things for which college can't prepare a person.
“Schooling doesn't prepare you for the everyday events of running a school and being a leader,” she said.
She is married with a daughter and son.
Tuttle said there are some challenges that come with switching to a new school district.
“In Corunna, I knew all the parents and all the kids,” Tuttle said. “I am really working hard to get to know all the parents, kids and staff here...It's a fun new process and a change.”
Durand
Durand Area Schools has three new principals this year.
n Doug Lindsay, 33, was approved as the Durand Area High School principal in May.
He admitted while he was at first hesitant about going into education for his career, it was during his sophomore year of college when he caved in and realized that's what he truly wanted to do.
“I was debating whether I instead wanted to go into the medical field,” Lindsay said. “I finally decided, ‘You know what? I don't like science that much.'”
Lindsay also has coached baseball and football.
He obtained his bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan University in math and social science education. Then, while working in the field, he was able to gain his master's degree in educational leadership from Western Michigan University.
“I think my heart was always in education and I was trying to deny it,” Lindsay said. “It gave me and opportunity to coach...and to have an impact in kid's lives.”
His career started at Berrien Springs High school, where he taught math and geography for a total of six years. He then came to Durand Area High School, where he taught math for two years, and then was the high school assistant principal for two years.
He is married with two sons and a daughter.
While Lindsay said he is enjoying his newfound position as principal, he feels he is still adjusting to the transition.
“There is a wider range of things that need to be dealt with,” he said. “But things are still going well.”
n Barb Birchmeier, 45, who was hired as the middle school principal in August, didn't start her career in education. Her family owned the Chesaning Heritage House for 25 years, and she ran the kitchen.
“I worked with a lot of high school kids in the kitchen and I really enjoyed working with them,” Birchmeier said, adding she had always loved government, economics and history.
However, she admitted there were other reasons for the career shift.
“I decided I didn't want to work weekends and holidays for the rest of my life,” she said with a laugh. “I went back and worked full-time, but I was able to get my degree in four years. My husband even started building gazeboes to help pay my way through college.”
She also has two boys and three girls.
Her new career first started with New Lothrop Area Public Schools in 1997, where she taught both middle school and high school for three years. Then, she became New Lothrop's curriculum director for the next six years. After that, she was hired as the assistant principal at Corunna High School, where she stayed for two years.
She got her bachelor's degree in history/social studies and secondary education from Saginaw Valley State University - that also is where she gained her master's degree in educational leadership.
Birchmeier also said the transition to Durand has been going very well.
n Christa Bowman, 34, said once she became the principal of Durand's Wilbur Bills Elementary in August, her career had come “full-circle.”
Her educational career first started with Durand in 2001, where she was a student teacher. After one semester, she was hired full-time.
“I started here as a teacher, and now I am starting here as an administrator,” Bowman said. “This is a great school to be given that opportunity.”
Bowman said she wanted to go into education because she wanted to make an impact on other people's lives.
“I volunteered a lot and saw what a difference I could make,” she said.
She earned her bachelor's degree in education from the University of Michigan-Flint and received her master's in teaching from Marygrove College in Detroit. She earned her master's in administration from U of M-Flint.
Bowman is married with two sons and a daughter.
While she said being a principal is a big time-investment, she doesn't mind.
“Every minute I put in toward it, I seem to get back twice as much,” she said. “I definitely want to continue being an educational leader here in Durand.”