A friend from college sent me this announcement about the Washington State High School Principal of the Year and I was so happy to learn that Steve Clarke won.
Steve was already on my list of people I would include if I could make my own personalized fantasy faculty/staff for my ideal school to teach at. When I was a senior in college, I lived with the Clarke family--Steve, his wife Julie, and their three young sons who were ages 3-9 at the time. It was my final three months in Bellingham, and I was all done with my coursework and just waiting to student-teach in the upcoming fall/winter quarters. I needed a place to live while I stayed in Bellingham to continue volunteering as a middle school Young Life team leader. During this time, I became really good friends with Julie and Steve. I learned a lot from them, by observing and interacting with their family, and our long conversations together. They taught me about the real-life hard work, truth, and joy of working to create and sustain a real Christian marriage, home, and family--one that is positive, enriching, fruitful. They made such an impact on my life then, and still continue to bless me with their friendship. I haven't been able to visit them in Bellingham since the fall of 2002, but I keep in touch with Julie through email. Their oldest son is graduating from high school this spring and will be attending college in Spokane.
No matter how bad some administrators can be (and I've had a few that really made their staff question their competence, critical thinking skills, common sense, and overall people skills), I always think of Steve to remember there is more than a dark side.
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