Key problem solver values time spent with students
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Piles of paperwork accumulate and the phone's ringing interrupts concentration every five minutes. Principal Gary Schultz, left, sorts through schedule plans to ensure that each student will be able to take the classes they need.
The young boy walks toward the office. He trembles at the thought of what he might face. The principal’s voice seems to vibrate through the walls.
“Congratulations on a job well done,” the principal’s voice resonates through the office.
Some may think that all a high school principal does is sit at his desk and scold students on bad behavior or a poor grade, but he does much more.
“I do everything; the number one thing I do is solve problems,” Principal Gary Schultz said. “I solve problems with teachers, students, parents and the administration.”
Being a principal can be a tough job, but an honest motivation keeps Schultz coming to work every morning.
“The students are why I love my job,” Schultz said. “If I didn’t like students I wouldn’t have any reason for working as a principal.”
Being principal comes with a lot of responsibility and hard work. Every morning Schultz arrives at school at 5:30 and works for 10 hours.
“I supervise all high school events,” Schultz said. “I set up all the schedules and hold staff meetings.”
Schultz is set apart from the other high school leaders by his involvement in student life.
“I always keep my door open,” Schultz said. “I want people to say that they can always come and see me. My other principal friends from public schools seem to lose contact with the students and just deal with the other aspects of the job. I never want to get away from spending time with the students.”
A principal’s job, like any other job, has its ups and downs. Schultz enjoys looking at the positive aspects of his job.
“My favorite moment as principal is the high school graduation,” Schultz said. “I love getting to shake hands with all the seniors as they walk down the line and congratulate them on accomplishing their goal.”
Though positive aspects are more enjoyable to recall, Schultz also remembers some bad times.
“There was this one time when we went to a convention, thinking that we had bought a new building for our school, but they called us back and told us someone else had bought the building,” Schultz said. “That was a pretty sad time, when we lost that.”
Some students realize the true importance of a principal’s job.
“I know our principal has a tough job,” Ashley Hall, ’08, said. “ He has to run the school and keep us all out of trouble.”
Far from the idea of a principal giving out detention slips and scolding students on bad behavior, the campus principal actually does not deal with disciplinary issues.
“I usually don’t handle disciplinary problems,” Schultz said. “Unless it’s a major problem, Mr. Endicott (Jon Endicott, campus vice principal) deals with those problems.”
The next time the campus principal’s voice is heard on the intercom asking to see a student, think again before making assumptions.
For more information on what principals do, contact Schultz in the high school office at 299-1695 ext.5.
