Interview with James M. Neblett

10-24-96.

This is an interview with Mr. James Neblett who was a principal in Virginia for several, many year, retired several years ago. The interview is taking place in the teachers lounge at Pulaski Middle School on October 24, 1996.

Q: We will start the interview with Mr. Neblett by asking you to tell a little bit about yourself, your family background, childhood interest, birthplace, anything about you that you would like to share with us.

(Streamed audio file of interview for this question using RealPlayer)

A: Well, Roger, it is good to talk with you. I was born in Wise County, Virginia way west of here; you may be aware of it. But, I grew up, we moved, my family moved to Bristol when I was about 5 and I attended the public schools in the Bristol Virginia Public Schools. Growing up then during primary, I guess, the war years were hectic in some respect but the recollection there, the best discipline I guess that I had that I can relate to right off just thinking off the top of my head was boy scouts. We did have a YMCA and those were good activities we participated in, organized activities. I graduated at the Bristol Virginia High School having only 11 years of high school at that time. I had started elementary and the age group had changed. One of my sisters started to school the same time I did. I had 3 sisters and no brothers as a matter of fact, I just recall the school that we attended thought that I would be a bad influence on my sister in that we only had one classroom of that grade, first grade at the time and so they put me in the second grade to begin with and that was kind of a drawback in respect because I could not read, but I had to come forth eventually and of course my mother was a primary factor in helping me since she had been a school teacher herself but finally I kind of half way over came it and was a fair student in all. I did somewhat better in high school, only 11 years of schooling. After graduating from high school, this was in 1947, which was right after the war years. Being a familiar family, I had anticipated going to King College which was a college right there in Bristol - a Presbyterian School, but my father was able to find the means for me to go to Emory & Henry College where I received by Bachelor's degree. I will never regret going to Emory & Henry because it is one of my favorite places. When I was in Junior College, I joined the Naval Reserve outfit in Kingsport, Tennessee and had to attend meetings once a week at that time. This was during the Korean War years and I was called into service actually about 3 weeks before I was able to finish school at mid-term in January, 1952, so I was in the Navy for a couple of years on aircraft carrier and after getting discharged from the Navy I of course had the opportunity for the GI Bill. I pursued a graduate degree and went to the University of Tennessee. My father was instrumental in getting me to do that and I had married my college sweetheart at the time while I was in the Navy so she was instrumental in that to, so I attended the University of Tennessee and got a Masters Degree in Education and Phys. Ed. That was instrumental in getting me to consider being a teacher/coach is what I wanted to be and so I received a job at Smythe County in Saltville, Virginia as a coach and teacher. It was interesting. As I recall I taught 6 periods, had a homeroom, and coached football, girls basketball, and track; so it was a full time job and took some preparation for all that which we would not even consider today if we did not have a free period of some type.

Q: Planning time, you did not have planning time?

A: No, none what so ever, so you just ad to wing it the best you could. So after, do you want me to continue on this way?

Q: What I was going to ask you, is you were prepared for education at Emory & Henry and University of Tennessee?

A: Yes.

Q: How long did you teach and then different type types of teaching, different positions there and how did you become a principal and how long and that sort of thing?

A: While I was at Saltville High School, I was only there 3 years and my 2nd year at mid term the Assistant Principal, who was also a teacher left and I became Assistant Principal, and teacher/coach.

Q: In your second year?

A: I say that I did three jobs for a year and half and at the time I think I was progressing back to $3500.00 a year. I had 2 children at the time and these must be a better way to raise a family so I sought another vocation and obtained a job as a pharmaceutical representative and certainly that was much more lucrative, had a car at my disposal, so that was really exciting for awhile, but I was gone about half the time. At the end, and so I decided that was not what I wanted to continue and that was for eight years that I did that and even though the money was good, I did not pursue that after eight years and I came back to teaching, and that's how I came to Pulaski County because the company with whom I worked put me here as a representative for this area.

Q: So when you came back to teach after 8 years in sales. How did you become re - employed as a teacher?

A: Well, I talked to Mr. Dobson, (Mr. Kenneth J. Dobson) who was Superintendent at the time had gone to school at Emory & Henry he was a couple years ahead of me and I had known him as a friend and so I went to talk to him. He wanted me to become a coach and teacher at one of the 2 high schools in the County of Pulaski. Pulaski High School was one, and Dublin High School the other. I decided I wanted to become involved elementary education and of course some of my friends thought I was kind of nuts soing this, as a matter of fact my wife was very cool to it at first, but I wanted to pursue that and so to become a elementary administrator, of course, you had to teach a couple of years and I did not have any background in elementary and so, I became a 7th grade teacher and some 6th grade classes at the old Central school which was, had been the old Pulaski High School which is downtown Pulaski. So after a couple years of that and I was able to advance into an elementary principalship which I thoroughly enjoyed. Through the years I enjoyed going to work, it was just a delight to me everyday, wife could not understand it. I would get up, I want to go to work, I just enjoyed every minute of it.

Q: That is great.

A: It really was great.

Q: How long did you serve as an elementary school principal?

A: Twenty two years. It was just an enjoyable time.

Q: Were you at different schools in the County?

A: No, I stayed at Newbern and Draper. I had 2 schools, you want me to pursue that a little bit?

Q: Sure.

A: I became a principal at 2 schools in the outlining area, Draper Elementary and Newbern Elementary and at the time both had about 250 students which was a great many for each of those buildings; it was just too much, but it was a total of 475-500 students. There was no Assistant Principal. I was it and splitting my time between the two schools, I tried to, for instance, I would spend one afternoon and the next morning at the same school, so you would have back to back afternoon, morning at each school. Of course, it did not always pan out that way, but it worked out very good. I had very excellent people to work with and that was the best thing about the whole thing. Good teachers, good people surrounding me, so - I had a lead teacher at each school so I could depend upon that was not Assistant Principal or anything. They just called it. They gave each of those teachers, I think $200.00 or $300.00 dollars more a year to be the lead teacher.

Q: Did you travel each day from school to school?

A: Each day, like I spend this afternoon and tomorrow morning at this school and then I would to the other school and spend the afternoon and the next morning. Like I said sometimes it would vary, so I would travel back and forth and if a problem came, they were only 7 miles apart, so I would jump in the car and run on back.

Q: Both those schools still exist with only about 140 children and a full time principal now.

A: That's right.

Q: Any thoughts on that? Do you think things are harder now than they use to be?

A: Well, apparently so, looking back on it. It was such a joy to do that and of course we did not think there was another way at the time having . We did not have the luxury in the early 1960's and 1970's of special classes like learning disabled, dyslexia, and all those things were not part of my vocabulary. We did not know what those terms meant. I guess until the later 1970's when we started testing and doing it that way; but it's funny how priorities change. Of course, they could have 1 principal at 1 building now with much less students.

Q: Did you have a full time secretary? Cafeteria staff, custodian.

A: Yes, a full time secretary, and cafeteria staff, and custodian at each school.

Q: Draper Elementary and Newbern Elementary both are crowded for space now with only 140 children and you say you had 250 approximately at each building and so you probably had large classes.

A: For instance, I remember once we had classes I believe it was when I first went through the first few years before we consolidated. I had 1st - 7th grade at each school and after 3 or 4 years it became K-7th grade, and then in 1974, we consolidated and that is when we just became K-5 schools. But, I remember a 7th grade class, I believe it was 42 students. These are pretty good size kids and they fill up the room as I recall some were pretty good size.

Q: 42 7th graders?

A: 42 7th graders and that was around 37, 39, 40, I recall a 4th grade had 44 students so these were big classrooms.

Q: I am going to try to ask a couple of these other questions and see where you go with it.

A: If you want me to back up and fill in on any of that...

Q: No, your really doing a nice job, and I really appreciate it. What kind of things do teachers expect principals to be able to do? What makes a good principal and how would teachers describe a good principal?

A: I think common sense is the best thing. They expect you to be rational in your decisions and of course, they want you to be somehow a so called instructional leader, but common sense really makes a play in just about anything you do. Thinking back on it, of course, you certainly want each teacher to have high expectations for what they do and for their children.

Q: You mentioned when you went back to teaching you had the desire to be an elementary principal and you taught 2 years in elementary school?

A: Yes

Q: Did you teach all the subjects?

A: I taught Virginia History at 7th grade level and I taught so called English. We were doing the Roberts English then. You are probably not familiar with it. At the 6th & 7th grade level and then I had a class of so called 7th grade literature. Probably I was not qualified to teach any of these except for the history, I had at that time 5 classes and I was in charge of study hall and so...

Q: Do you think your experience as a teacher at both High School level and Elementary School, did that give you an understanding of what the principalship should be?

A: Yes, I think it was certainly a good training. Of course, being an Assistant Principal for, they gave me a whole free period when I was Assistant Principal in High School just to be Assistant Principal was not that nice. Of course, I was in charge of attendance. That took alot of time, but then the 2nd year I was at Central School, I was so called Assistant Principal there because we did not have one. That reminds me, you know, I remember taking an education class at Emory, and I guess male teachers were not the accepted thing then, but I remember one of the professors telling me that if you are a teacher in the building and/or coach , probably you will be one of the few males there, but get to know what the custodian does, how he fires the boiler and know what the secretary does and the cafeteria does and know all those things because you might be the only man around and they will look for you when those persons are not available and you know something, that was so true, so often, and particularly in a small school you would see that happening.

Q: What about when you were a principal do you think the community gave you certain expectations or did you feel like a school board or superintendent orthat there were certain things you were expected to do? Were you pretty much independent?

A: Well, it seems like it at just thinking back on that question that when I first started out I guess it was because the administration at the time, elementary supervisor it was more ridged it seemed like and you were expected to adhere to the philosophy of school, but then I guess as they got to know me, I was left alone somewhat, cause they knew I would do what was supposed to be done and so common sense is a factor there. So through the years I guess that changed somewhat. Yes

Q: If you were advising a person who is considering an administrative job; somebody who was thinking of doing that; what would your advise be? Would you recommend that or...

A: Yes, I would, for me it was a tremendous vocation. I really enjoyed it but I think one of the best things they could do would be to, I guess, on the job training of some type. Do they have that now?

Q: That administrative assistant training?

A: I did not know if the colleges were doing it or not, but that certainly is a factor.

Q: I think there are internships.

A: Yes, that is the work I was trying to get out really. Those would be invaluable not just in one place, but in a variety of places if you could maybe 3 months here and 3 months there to really get a feel for what is going on and the differences and different situations. I am just thinking out loud on that, but are there other points you want me to make there?

Q: No, I think that is fine. It's often said a principal should be active in community affairs. I know you said you just came back from civic league.

A: I have been active in Rotary through the years and I guess middle 40's, middle 1970's I decided to become a town council person and ran for council. I was successful in actually, I have run 5 different times through the years for 4 year terms and been successful, so I am on my 5th term right now which will be 20 years of it. Part of the time of it I was principal, sixteen years of it I suppose I was involved with the town council, but that did not interfere with what I did as principal. Of course, I had the okay with the superintendent and school board when I ran for office.

Q: Was that just out of the desire to serve?

A: Yes, it is a desire to serve. Of course, I had taken some economic and history in undergraduate school, so I guess it is part of me too.

Q: And you are still on the town council?

A: Yes, I was off for about 4 years and then I ran again in the spring and was successful. So I am active in the town affairs.

Q: Could a school principal, today, do both of those things you think?

A: Well, it is getting more complicated I think, your job, it might be tougher today.

Q: Are there politics involved in being a school principal?

A: No, there is no party as to Democrat or Republican. You just run at large in our town. There are no precincts as such.

Q: But the skills that you have as a principal and community relations and common sense can serve well in other roles too. We need to come back to school related things like that. Teacher evaluations, you mentioned that you had good staff and good people surrounding you and that certainly helped. What do you think about teacher evaluations?

A: Well, that is certainly important. Lets see, through the years I guess I had to let maybe three teachers go and a couple of aides and a custodian. I'm just thinking out loud, that's a very difficult thing to do; but you my experience was that you had to be on top of what those people were doing. I had the ability to go in a classroom and I did it so much, maybe 5 or 10 minutes and the students were not aware I was there and the teacher got accustomed to me going in and out. I did not do it in a disturbing way, but I could get a feel for what was going on in a short period of time and I think I was very, that was one of my better skills, I could understand what that person was doing and how much he or she was accomplishing. The frequency of doing that I think helped me to better evaluate and if I was really going to do a whole evaluation sheet on a person, I would certainly stay a longer period or time. I really got a good feel for people working with me going in and out in that respect. The teachers were more comfortable with me doing it that way. Sometimes it is hard to find the time to do that. It takes some self discipline to make you go in there. When there is maybe something else that you would rather do.

Q: What was your normal daily routine while serving two schools.

A: Teachers knew that if I had been there the evening before that I would be there the next morning. Now if I was at the opposing school and they had a discipline problem, they knew I would be in around noon time and I could handle it. You can not put those things off. You have got to do it right then if they were holding off and something happened at 10:00 and they are waiting for me to get there at 12:00. You know you have got to handle it right quick. I think the quicker the better you do that, I found.

Q: Did you have a lot of discipline problems?

A: No, where I had the 6th & 7th grade, certainly there was more discipline time, but...

Q: You know you see in the papers now safe school plans and you know the Gun Free Schools act forced policies to be pretty ridged - zero tolerance for guns which is probably in my mind a good policy What differences do you see from then to now? What did you do when you found a kid with a hunting knife; send him home?

A: I usually had a drawer that I kept my knives in and of course, the only way that those could get back was for a parent to pick them up. So, through the years hunting knives and this type of thing, if I needed one, it was available.

Q: Fairly common.

A: But it was not a great big problem. I think during hunting season particularly, 6th & 7th graders, they were more liable to have a hunting knife with them. We discouraged them.

Q: Did you have anyone bring a gun to school?

A: No, I never did. That is unfortunate. I read in the paper about those things happening. In fact, it happened at Newbern Elementary this past spring, but I never had that problem.

Q: How would you describe a normal workday? The days you went to Newbern in the morning? (End of side 1, side 2) I believe the question was to describe a typical workday, what you might do when you first got to work.

A: Well, particularly in my later years as a principal, I was an early riser and I was usually at school around 7:30am, and of course, at these country schools you have kids arriving at that time. A few, we started the breakfast program about 1980 as I recall and that became more and more popular with those rural students like that and we were serving quiet a few breakfasts. You know, I enjoyed getting there and greeting all the buses that I could if I was not involved in something. I liked to meet buses and greet kids and it did not take but just a few minutes to do that. To say hello or give them a high five or that type of thing. You know, I enjoyed that and so I tried to do that. I guess one of the unpleasant things at both of those schools and probably still is the transfer of high school and middle school students and that became a problem through the years and it took some time away from the staff, because we had to police that. It is hard, I do not know any other way that you probably could do it, they had to have a transfer point and those schools were seemed to be the logical spot for it and...

Q: I guess kids travel from far places in the county would meet there and get a bus to take them to the high school or middle school so...

A: Some of those I encouraged then to eat breakfast and we had some middle school and high school people eating breakfast at the school and that seemed to help a little bit to cut down on that but you take a kid coming from Hiwassee, you know at that time were transferring at Draper and that is a good deal of distance, you know and they get mischievous. You know - your laws don't apply to me at this school and that type - you know how that is. I can do what I want to here, but we had to decide on that.

Q: Once you finished the bus waiting before you went to class, did you have any kind of morning exercise, like the Pledge of Allegiance, or anything like that , that you did in school?

A: That was a special occasion that we did that. Of course, we did not have a loud speaker or communication between the classrooms at either school, so we could not do it over that. We had special times that we did that. On the outside, we tried, I think most of the time we did that once a week to raise the flag and we would do that after the first bell, which was 8:30am. At that time and in inclement weather we would go to the auditorium and for just maybe 5 minutes for some announcements or Pledge of Allegiance. Of course back then we could, you know, have a prayer or whatever and of course you know times have changed as you know.

Q: So was that common to include a prayer?

A: It was then, up until I can not remember the time, maybe the mid 1980's or whatever. We did that alot.

Q: You said you felt like you were a nuts and bolts principal, common sense kind of person, what else would you say contributed to your success as principal?

A: Well, I had a good relationship with the staff, thank goodness so visiting both of those schools, now primarily all of those people I hired. You know it is strange because when I just come to think about it, when I just went to become a principal the school board would hire somebody and send them to your building and say this is going to be a 1st grade teacher and this is going to be whatever. But, there after a few years they gave me that responsibility they would send a person there and let me interview a person they just hired somebody and sent them to you. So later on they gave me that luxury of finding the right person and I think that helped in my situation. I was able to better judge the type of person I wanted and going back to those schools, they are still there. They stayed right where they are.

Q: Now we have committees. We all sit down and interview, and have a consensus; there is something to be said for the principal having that privilege.

A: Well, I had a pretty good knack at judging that; probably better than the average person. I was fortunate and they are all good people. Like I said over the years - only had to let three teachers go- difficult thing to document - hope you never have to.

Q: Was there such a thing as - after a while teachers continuing contracts?

A: Yes, of course. The next ones they had to document, the times of observations and time I told. The most unpleasant part of it is then Roger, we had to tell them by the first of March or the fifteenth. What is it now?

Q: April 15th?

A: It was March 15th then it seemed like and that was a difficult thing because you had to let that person know eventually after all this documentation and have supervisors observe and so forth. You had to have it all together by March 15 and let them know that and so they were kind of a lame duck for 2 or 3 months and it was not good in some respect.

Q: Kind of hard to relate to people after that.

A: It was very difficult.

Q: There's a question here about a professional code of ethics. That might be a little challenging. What qualities make a good principal - would you say? Honesty, fairness, things like that, like you say, common sense.

A: All of those are great and well - being able to deal with parents. Having that quality and with your fellow teachers but those two are really outstanding. You really need to do that, be on top of that. If you can not communicate with fellow faculty members and parents, it makes it difficult.

Q: Some principals hold a view that teachers and other staff members are well motivated and reliable self starters and other principals feel that they must monitor the activities of their employees to make sure that they are performing up to standard. Do you have a feel for that. Do you feel like most people are hard workers by nature or do you feel you need to monitor people.

A: That, of course, is in any profession. You have to monitor some more than others and you know who those are and you know I will tell them up front, I'm willing to do this and this , but we need to work on this and in a good tone as I told my people. You have got to understand, you have got to know when I mean what I say or you have got to know when I am telling a joke, you will laugh, but you have got to know the difference. So I try to really let them know that I meant what I said, I was not just joking about you and so most of them called me the gentle giant. If you can believe it I weighed 50 lbs more than I do now. I was a big fellow of course, 6'5.

Q: How did the little small kindergartners and first graders respond?

A: At first they were aughed, but then after a while, they knew that was a gentle giant and would give me the high five. You would have to get down on your knees sometimes. It was just great thinking back on it.

Q: You must have a real feeling of warmth for people. I guess what you said is mostly just common sense and having good people skills and being able to get along with all different kinds.

A: Right, my teachers did not feel threatened. Sometimes, they did not realize if I was in the building or not. Sometimes, I would show up when they thought I was not going to be there. They had a lot of respect for me and I had a lot of respect for them. It was a mutual thing. It's just the greatest jobs that you could imagine. Roger, I just enjoyed it 100 percent all the time. It was just great except for, there were some bad time too, but the bad times were dealing with people like with the ones you had to let go or parents, that type of thing.

Q: So you did have irrational parents.

A: Oh yes, we had them everywhere. This came to mind. Well, I remember right off the top of my head, I was at Newbern and the phone rang and this lady called me and she had a student at Draper. She had never met me and I had never met her and she was a parent who lived in Washington D.C., and her child lived here with her father and she did not see her that often and he was having some difficulty and I dealt with the grandparents more than I dealt with the father and she called me up and said she was going to be here for a couple of weeks and she was going to come out to Newbern and she was going to whip my you know what and I said, I've never met you, and she said, Boy, I tell you what, I can do it. No pee wee principal like you is going to do these things. I said, well come right on, I will be right here. She came and I walked out in the hall and she changed her tune right quick. So, I recall that one situation. I do not know why I even thought about that, I had not thought about her for years and years, but you have some difficult times.

Q: I guess every job does. You obviously enjoyed it, and you did it for 22 years. What about retirement? What brought you to decide to retire?

A: Well, my wife has been in education too all those years. We had four children, but she went back to teaching after we got the children raised. So when the state and Governor Wilder decided to give 5 years and early retirement incentives, economically, we could not afford not to; I did not want to. She had plan to retire that year, but it was the furthest thing from my mind, but economically almost had to. The computer stuff had come on the scene a little bit and I had taken 2 courses in computers and I did not think that was going to be my cup of tea. That did not really have an effect on me, but I had 28 years and they gave me 5 and so that made 34. My wife had 32 year s and so it was good timing because both of use could retire at the same time, which made it even better.

Q: You both have your health?.

A: That's right, and we have enjoyed visiting our children. One lives in Arkansas, no problem as far as traveling, we like to do that. We have taken 3 cruises and it has been enjoyable.

Q: I do not have anymore questions. I am going to give you a chance to add anything you want to add. You were making $3,500.00 a year serving as a coach, assistant principal and teacher. What year was that?

A: 1957

Q: Just a slow gradual improvement over the years, I guess.

A: I went with the drug company and I was traveling so much I had to give that up. I became the first cable operator here in town. I was the manager of the cable office but was only for a year and 8 months or so I knew that was not my cup of tea. So that is when I went back into education and wanted to be in the elementary situation.

Q: Do you recall why you decided elementary? Were your children in elementary then?

A: My oldest children were in elementary as a matter of fact, but I just felt like I did not want to coach anymore. That had been a good experience, but emotionally it really dealt with me. I guess pressure you put on yourself to win that type thing, but elementary education really appealed to me; that is why I really went after it and I have never been sorry. It was all a bed of roses as far as I am concerned, I really enjoyed it.

Q: Anything you want to add before we conclude this tape. I appreciate you doing this, and like I said this will be added to the whole collection at Virginia Tech.

A: No, I guess a couple of things. I think one of the big things is try to be available to the students, staff and parents as best you can. It is hard sometime, particularly in a big school like this. I know it is important to do your paperwork on time and handle situations that come up quickly. I think that really helped me. Do not let things sit. Of course, in elementary, having active PTA's and things of that nature, involves parents in it, that is always helpful. There are occasions where a parent wants to get too involved and you kind of have to set on that. That happens once in awhile, not very often.

Q: What would you mean by too involved? Trying to make policy?

A: Yes, they get to the point to when they tell you what to do. I have had a couple PTA Presidents through the years that seem to think I was not doing good for there children probably, you deal with them. Those things pass, they are only PTA President for a year or two usually. So, they come and go.

Q: One thing I might ask that just popped into my head, is how did the talented and gifted program begin in the county?

A: Well, it's interesting. When we first started out, the talented and gifted at Newbern was effective. We had a few students who went to Dublin Elementary by bus for an hour or two each week. We did not have that luxury at Draper Elementary, those who were talented and gifted just did not have any program, except the Great Books program and I as a principal taught that for a couple of years for those students who were at Draper Elementary. That was the only thing they had as far as extra curricular, and that was an hour a week that I had the Great Books program (if you are familiar with that program). I did that for an hour a week for 2 years at Draper Elementary and then we hired a teacher who was an itinerant teacher who came around. Draper was involved in that then and she came to each school and Newbern also. When I first started out as principal, we did not have a school psychologist, we did not have those luxuries of itinerant teachers. We did not have an art teacher, or PE teacher, you know, those things. Another thing is teachers were supposed to do their own registers back then, and that was one administrative duty that I tried to take away from the teachers and do myself. I had an aide at each school that I gave an hour a day and she and I did the registers at both of those schools.

Q: You had to keep all the attendance records, you had to get all the numbers together?

A: All the teachers screamed with joy when I took that away from them. I did that after I was principal for a couple of years so my teachers did not have to fool with it after that. So, I got that away from them, they never did get it right. They could not add up those figures.

Q: When there other ways that you felt like you tried to take some of those kinds of responsibilities?

A: Yes, the more those administrative things seemed to pile up, and if you can in some respect kind of absorb some of that it really helps your relationship with teachers and they really respect you for that. There's some paper work and things that you can do. I can not remember right off the top of my head but there were several things.

Q: Faculty meetings, did you feel the need to have those pretty regularly?

A: Yes, but we could have a faculty meeting at 8:00am and sit around in the lounge and get it all done. It was easy to do so even though the school board said you have to do this or that. We could do it very efficiently, but in a small school, you can communicate. It is no problem. If you have nine teachers in the building or ten at the most, it is easy to go and talk to them and know what is going on. That's another important thing, to let others know what is going on. If you go to the principal's meeting and anything that involves them, let those people know even if it takes 5 minutes. It does not take long to let them know what's happening. Even with the custodian, that's important. I tell them whatever is going on and they appreciate it.

Q: In a small school you can do that verbally. Did you do memos, letters, new letters?

A: Occasionally, at first, I did that alot but personal communication is the best thing.

Q: Is there any other thing you would like to talk about? You career as a principal?

A: You did not ask me any unpleasant things, but I guess the unpleasant thing would be dealing with buses, but I touched on that. All of those problems were middle school and high school kids that I had to deal with.

Q: If you could just stay elementary it would be all right.

A: Yes, for sure, it's to bad those transfer points had to happen, but that was the most unpleasant thing I had to deal with through the years.

Q: A: I appreciate you doing this and I will get you a copy of this when it is all typed up. It will go in the record at Virginia Tech.

A: Well, this did not hurt as bad as I thought it was going to.

Q: Thanks a lot.

A: Yea boy.