>> [MUSIC] I became an administrator in Marietta system
in fall of 1987.
And I had been here at Marietta High School in
the meantime as a teacher, a department head.
And then I was appointed assistant principal. Yes.
>> Talk about being assistant principal
at Marietta High School.
>> It was challenging.
During the time that I was
assistant principal at Marietta High School,
my main job description was discipline,
and I had discipline for four grade levels.
And that was very challenging.
But I set some parameters
from the very beginning with that.
And going through it,
some days were very hard.
And I learned how to manage it.
And I had a very supportive principal.
We called him my Bazooka.
So when I needed something,
he was right there to back me up.
And I did that for six years.
>> Who was the principal?
>> Herb Garrett was the principal.
And I've told people and I still tell people,
he taught me everything I
know about school administration.
He really did. He was an excellent school administrator.
>> When did you go to the Woods Wilkin School?
>> I went there in '94.
What happened was that it had been set
up as the Wilkins School at first because it
was for a choice that students would
get who may be falling behind
in academics and that kind of
thing at Marietta High School.
They could go there and get a lot of one on
one attention and be able to catch up on some coursework.
And in '94,
the State of Georgia started
an alternative program for students
who were conduct disordered.
And I was asked to go there and help establish
that school with the guidance
of people from the State Department of Education.
So we did that,
and I became principal at that time.
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