Longview Elementary principal talks about turning around morale
Longview Elementary school Principal Darrin Foddrell poses for a photo by the Longview shelf in the hickory City schools administration building in this photo from 2024.
Longview Elementary Principal Darrin Foddrell hates sitting in his office.
It is not that he dislikes the space, decorated with personal and professional effects. If he is in his office, he is not doing what he enjoys doing, which is encouraging and mentoring staff and students in the third through fifth grade school.
He took about 15 minutes on a Tuesday morning to sit in his office and talk about his leadership style and why he gives his best for students at a school where, two years ago, staff had lost faith in the school's administration.
Two years ago, at the end of the 2023c2024 school year, 75% teachers at the school who responded to the N.C. Teacher Working Conditions Survey said they would not recommend the school to parents. The former principal was not retained and Foddrell was hired during the summer of 2024.
The biennial survey was sent to teachers again this year. This time, 90% of teachers said they would recommend the school.
Hickory City Schools Superintendent Jennifer Griffin said Foddrell's leadership style of being engaged with teachers and students is "what we want from our building level leaders."
"He consistently is in the building with the kids, with the teachers, highly visible, clearly cares about our students," Griffin said. "He understands their challenges, but also has a very high expectation of the students.
"And so that impacts culture because it starts at the top and leadership matters."
Foddrell starts many days by walking the halls, ducking into classrooms to greet and encourage students and staff.
The day he spoke with the Hickory Daily Record, May 12, was a testing day. Students were taking end of grade tests. Foddrell went around to classrooms and gave pep talks to students before the test.
Then, he came back and made a few announcements. He wrapped up the announcements with this: "Let's get it."
Student test scores improved in Foddrell's first year in addition to staff morale. The percentage of students who scored proficient in reading and math improved by about 10%. The percentage of economically disadvantaged students who scored proficient in these subjects increased by about 15%.
Outside of the school building, Foddrell referees in a basketball league and drives a bus for the school system.
"We appreciate that he's always student focused," Griffin said. "This is his heart, we see that in the work that he does and I think that the children see it. The families see it, the staff sees it and, you know, when leadership is that involved, then that sets the tone for the rest of the building."
Foddrell answered questions about his leadership and work. Read his responses below.
How did you get into teaching?
This is my 32nd year. I wasn't the teacher or the person who always wanted to be a teacher. That wasn't the case. I started as an engineer. Precengineering. A calculus teacher told me, "I think you'll be a good math teacher." Well, after about two years, engineering wasn't going like I wanted to. I said, "Oh, maybe I need to try teaching". I got started at William Lenoir in Caldwell County, which was a tough school at that time, in terms of demographics. And loved it. Absolutely loved it.
What led you into administration?
My wife. I wish I could tell you more. I love teaching, love the classroom. I absolutely adore it. Love the coaching, love everything that was with it and was good. And she said, "I think you need to be an administrator." I said, "Oh, OK." And she said, "By the way, your classes start Monday." True story. I wish I could tell you something different. And here we are. It has been the best move, because, you know, I love the children.
Have you had a moment that made you appreciate being a teacher or administrator?
Yes, I understand what the teachers go through. I understand the pressure. I understand the planning and all the things that go along with teaching. I get it. And so I try to make sure I have the ear for that, to hear what they have to say and be understanding with the things they need.
You're hardly ever in your office during the school day. What does your day look like?
No, I don't like this place (Foddrell laughed, and clarified he meant the office). I can't see students when I'm in the office. I can't see what educators are doing. I love the art of teaching. And so I enjoy going to watch them and I make sure that they see me.
My day starts off with announcements, and I try to bring an energy to the announcements. My "Let's get it" came from a podcast guy that my wife loves, and his last thing he says on his podcast is, "Let's get it." And I like that energy. And now it's just part of what we do when I do announcements, and I've been adding on the little things like National Limerick Day and National Hospital Day. Or National Anthony Day. I'll lighten the day up, kind of get them in the mood. We do the pledge and then I try to do birthdays for faculty as well as students.
When that birthday is here, I make sure we announce it. Nothing like a kid hearing that name over the loudspeaker. I'm trying to figure out a way to announce every name over the summer for kids who have summer birthdays so that they can hear their name or the loudspeaker, because they look for it.
Then after that, I just begin looking at classrooms. I just go from classroom to classroom. Just watching, greeting students, checking on them, trying to be proactive throughout the day.
There are times when I have to teach kids about consequences. I have to figure out ways to make sure they understand that their actions have a consequence, but by the same token, that they're here with us so they can be educated. They're still so impressionable and young, and you have to explain to them why maybe something wasn't a good choice.
Why do you think you've been able to turn the culture around here at Longview?
Griffin: The feedback that I get from folks is that he's always around. He knows what's going on in the classrooms. In fact, I think you (Foddrell) end up teaching sometimes. The feedback that I'm getting, I would summarize as saying, they feel like they're a team. It takes the teachers and the principal working together, and inviting the kids to be part of the team, too. I think he does a good job of building team.
Foddrell: They like the fact that I'm always around, that they know where to find me on campus. They know why I am in the building and when I'm available. I usually try to keep my door open. If I'm in here, the teacher will knock on the door. And we begin to converse, and they just talk about curriculum, or whatever they need to talk about. So, yeah, I think a lot of what I've heard is that being present in the classroom is appreciated.
