Ramsey enthused with new job as Bobby Ray principal
Beverly Ramsey already has a week’s worth of experience under her belt as the new principal at Bobby Ray Elementary.
“It was great,” Ramsey said of her first week with students. “Everything went very smoothly. The teachers, the parents, the staff, everything just worked together, just clicked perfectly. So we’re off to a fantastic start.”
Bobby Ray, which operates on a different calendar than the rest of the school system, had its first day of classes Monday, July 25, but there had been a week of in-service and registration prior to that. Ramsey says she is ready for the challenge of her first appointment as a principal in the school system.
“I’m thrilled to death with it, because there’s such good faculty here,” Ramsey said. “I feel like I was truly blessed to get here with all these wonderful people to work with.”
When the principal’s job came open, Ramsey applied for the position, went through the interview process and was offered the position. She replaces Bonnie Collier who took a job in the central office.
Ramsey said a new position at West Elementary last year played a part in her decision to apply for the principal’s job.
“I left the classroom after 30 years,” she said, “and was instructional coordinator at West Elementary last year, which gave me a taste of the administrative end of things, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed working with the teachers and working with the curriculum and interacting with the students, so when this position came open I thought, ‘OK, you’ve had a good year and really enjoyed being instructional coordinator, so let’s go for it.'”
Ramsey says she plans to maintain the quality programs at Bobby Ray. One area she intends to concentrate on is the school’s Hispanic students.
“You know, there’s two cultures here that we can mesh and learn so much from each other,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey got her undergraduate degree at Lipscomb University and her master’s degree at Tennessee Tech. She began her teaching career at Centertown, moved to West Elementary where she completed her 30th year of classroom teaching before moving into the administrative job last year.
While at West, Ramsey won a national teaching award.
“That was an unbelievable experience,” she said. “To be awarded a national honor and meet the president and to interact with other teachers from all 50 states. I just wish every teacher could go through it because it would inspire you to be that much better. You felt truly appreciated for your work.”
Ramsey said education is of the utmost importance, particularly these days since America is competing in a global market. She noted she has personally found teaching to be very rewarding and encouraged students to consider a career in education.
“I heard a quote once,” Ramsey said, “that teaching is the only profession through which all other professions must pass. That, in a nutshell, tells you how important teachers are.”