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After finishing high school, I did lots of things -mostly all college related. Right after graduation, I went to Westark to pursue an electronics degree, but changed my mind after finishing that 2 year program and came back to Russellville to get an education degree to become a teacher. During that time, I had a computer store here in town and worked as QA supervisor for Tyson. I finished my BA in English Education, did my student teaching at RHS in 1993, and taught at Dover for 2 years. In 1993-1995 it was very hard to live on a teacher's salary, especially with one kid and another on the way, so I then became a computer programmer and hardware specialist for Tyson for 6 years.
During that time I divorced, and met my current partner. I then decided to go to medical school, and completed the pre-med program at Tech and was accepted to UAMS. After a few months of that, however, I changed my mind, moved back to Russellville, and went back into teaching at Wonderview where I taught English, drama, and was the Technology Director and Assistant Principal. I finished my Masters in 2006 in Educational Leadership and moved to New York City where I became employed as an Educational Consultant for Wireless Generation, working in partnership with the DOE with their Children First Intensive in all five boroughs. For a year, I was responsible for helping approximately 120 schools scattered from the North Bronx all the way down to Staten Island and out in distant Queens with data analysis, educational change management, and training their teachers and administrators on a new computerized accountability program that the city purchased. I then transferred to a traveling position with the same company and now do the same types of consultations with schools all across the USA. I visit schools, teachers, and classrooms to help them with data based decision making to help them with student achievement and closing the achievement gap using data obtained from the software they purchased from my company. This position allows me to do the things I love in schools in administration without having to do the less pleasant things such as discipline, budgeting, and dealing with drugs, violence, and angry parents. Thank goodness my car has a navigation system and rental cars have TomTom as I have been to some off-the-beaten-path places in my journeys!
I currently live back in Russellville with my partner of 10 years, where we bought one of the 2 large mid-century modern houses in town and have been in remodeling mode since the summer. NYC was so much fun and I want to move back someday, but right now I can work and travel from home so paying crazy rents in the city or buying an apartment or brownstone in the declining real estate market and losing money just makes no sense. Once the housing market settles we would like to move back to NYC to live, but for now I am gone much of the time anyway so living back in Russellville works out fine. When I am not traveling with the software company, I work for Coldwell-Banker in the 500 Building selling real estate. So if anyone needs a new home here in Russellville, look me up!
My hobbies are restoring my 1962 mid-century modern home in its original style, swimming in the inground pool, surfing the internet, and staying on the go!
I was born in Dardanelle, Arkansas and lived in Russellville all my life. I hung out with a few people in school - mostly Tim Vogt, Ken Trantham, Jeff Brown, Daniel Schaubroeck, Jennifer Willfong, Janice Baker, and that group, but most of my out of school friends were from Dover and Dardanelle. My favorite subjects were Electronics and Computers. I sucked at history and math and wasn't all that good at English. Does anyone else remember what happened to Mrs. Price’s 11th grade history gradebook at the end of the year? Thanks Mike! It's ironic that I ended up teaching junior and senior English both of which are history based literature. Luckily there is no math involved. Still, history... Go figure.
