Some of my fondest school memories are from high school, and some can even be shared in this forum!
My three sisters and I had the unique experience of our dad being our high school principal. He provided us space at school to be ourselves and wasn’t a hovering parent. It was likely a more productive tactic for my sisters’ growth than mine, but I appreciated it, nonetheless.
My dad loved interacting with the students and would stand in the hallways between class periods to greet them. It was a great pick me up to walk past him, say, “Hi Dad”, and see his smiling face.
Having your dad as the principal also provided a few other benefits, such as knowing school was canceled due to snow without having to get out of bed, picking my class schedule and teachers, and even getting my driver’s ed instructor to let me switch sessions due to a family vacation!
While we had a basketball hoop in our driveway, even better was Dad taking the family to the high school gym and having it all to ourselves! The bonus was the time the trampoline was set up! Something that I suspect school insurance carriers or lawyers might not allow today!
As you can imagine, there were a few not-so-fun aspects of being the principal’s kid. Going out as a family was an endurance sport. It took four times as long because everyone knew Dad and had to visit with him. He was never off the clock. Growing up with a well-known community leader has given me sympathy for the legislators I lobby, and more specifically, their families because I’ve been there!
As a public employee, things that are typically private are public information. For example, every time my dad got a new contract, usually at three-year intervals, along with other administrators, his salary would be printed in the city’s daily newspaper.
I also encountered a couple of threatening situations because of his job. After a group of classmates were suspended senior year from graduation due to serious violations while on a school trip, one of them came screaming at me in the hallway, causing a teacher to step in. In retrospect, I understand his frustration as the stage walk was important for his family to see but at the time it wasn’t the best experience!
Another involved a teacher who was put on leave due to, what today would be labeled, “mental health issues”. Our parents went away for a weekend to a professional conference, so all four of us kids slept in the walk-out basement, with a baseball bat nearby. Why? Because days earlier the family woke up to a beheaded chicken placed on top of our mailbox.
My Dad set a great example of public service in our family, and public education became a family business. Two of my sisters are retired teachers and the third, spent part of her career in human services focused on early childhood development while dedicating 21 years of service on the school board. She also recently completed her tenure as president of the Michigan Association of School Boards where she helped assist board members around the state. Tragically, for our family, her community, and public education, she unexpectedly passed away in early September. But like many teachers, her memory lives on through the students she positively impacted throughout her life.
Overall, growing up the son of a principal is exactly how you would imagine, good, bad, and interesting and I wouldn’t have chosen any other way!
