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Cloverdale principals feel right at home where they grew up
CLOVERDALE -- Talk to teenagers from dot-on-the-map, rural communities about their future plans and a common theme emerges: They're ready to get out.
See the world. Move to a place with more people, more action, more culture, more ... anything.
So how is it that the Cloverdale Community School Corporation managed to hold onto three of its own and make them administrators?
It has a lot to do with pride and a sense of community, at least those are the themes that keep coming up if you ask the three Cloverdale High School graduates who are now the principals of the corporation's three schools -- Brad Sandy (Class of '83) at the elementary school, Sonny Stoltz (Class of '85) at the high school and Dawn Tucker (Class of '81) at the middle school.
"I think it's a unique situation," Sandy said of the three homegrown principals. "It would be nice to know how many schools have a similar situation."
Stoltz has been a teacher or administrator for 26 years, all at Cloverdale, and he believes there's a reciprocal sense of loyalty between the community and the school.
"We are a family here. It's amazing," Stoltz said. "Say what you want if you're from outside the community or another school corporation, but I feel a great sense of community here. It is rewarding.
"It's called Cloverdale Community Schools."
Tucker echoed Stoltz's comments, saying the common goal of educating students is a uniting factor.
"What is interesting to me, what I absolutely treasure, is how well everyone in this community works together, even in this school," Tucker said. "Everybody takes pride in the school and that is a huge blessing. We're all here for the same reason. We're all here for the kids and it shows."
While they may share a common goal, the three principals got where they are today by different paths. It's a case of one who never wanted to leave, one who nearly left and one who left, but didn't go far.
Commuting is a bad word
Sandy describes himself as a non-traditional college student.
After graduating from CHS in 1983, he became a cosmetologist. He later worked in customer service for Putnam Plastics.
"I really didn't want to get out," Sandy said. "I've lived here all my life and enjoyed the town and the community."
Through it all he remained involved with kids through wife Lita's ownership of Dance Workshop.
After 10 years out of school, Sandy decided he wanted something different in his life.
"One day I came home and said to Lita, 'I don't want to just sit behind that desk. I want to be a school teacher,'" Sandy said. "She said, "OK, go check it out.' I did and the rest is history."
But Lita's support meant more than just saying, "check it out." It meant four years of Brad in college while they were still trying to raise two kids. However, Brad says Lita was nothing but supportive.
"From the get-go, she said 'do it' and I did," he said.
After graduation, Sandy spent a year working at Peace Lutheran Preschool in Greencastle, with afternoons at the CES preschool during second semester.
Hired full time at CES, he spent 12 years as a first-grade teacher and three as a behavior coach before being named principal in the fall of 2014.
Now in his second year as principal, Sandy believes the adjustment to his new duties has gone well.
"This year I was more relaxed at the beginning of the year," Sandy said. "And of course, I have a great staff that made the transition easy for me."
As for working in his hometown, Sandy never saw it any other way, even when other opportunities arose.
"When I first got my administrative license I had interviews other places. I'd drive there and it felt wrong," Sandy said. "I'd get there and think, 'I don't want to have this drive.' I literally live around the corner, so commuting, for me, is a bad word."
'Where I need to be'
Stoltz's experience was different than Sandy's, not only as a more traditional college student, but as someone who nearly left his hometown for bigger aspirations, going so far as to accept another job before the hometown came calling.
"I did take another job as soon as I graduated," Stoltz said. "Kokomo wanted me for a job teaching at-risk boys. I really had aspirations. But then Cloverdale called. As that door opened, so did this one."
In the end, teaching in his hometown was the opportunity Stoltz accepted.
"I had aspirations (to leave) at one time, but they were short-lived," he said. "I think since then, I've had my questions answered that this is where I need to be."
So in 1989, Stoltz began 10 years of teaching third grade at Cloverdale Elementary.
"I loved every minute of it," Stoltz said. "Those young boys and girls -- they're very genuine. That was probably one of the most rewarding times of my life."
He subsequently moved on to the athletic director position at the high school, then AD/assistant principal for the cash-strapped corporation.
In 2004 he became the principal at the high school, directing a staff that included some of his own teachers.
"The biggest change is when I began as principal, I had a lot of faculty members who were in the school when I was in high school," Stoltz said. "Now that number is down to zero."
With Dave Kiley's retirement in 2014, that era officially ended.
"Mr. Kiley was actually the last teacher who I had the privilege to be student for and then his administrator," Stoltz said.
Stoltz still leans on the lessons of those older teachers, like when he was told that trends in education go in cycles. The current focus on teacher accountability? It's nothing new.
"There's new terminology, but it's the same thing," Stoltz said.
What doesn't come and go is the community support Stoltz feels in Cloverdale and Putnam County.
"What drives me is I'm surrounded by great people. There's a lot of good people in the community," Stoltz said.
"I'm an ordinary man living an extraordinary life. I think Putnam County is that way. It's an extraordinary place."
'Like coming back home'
Tucker took perhaps the most circuitous route to her principal position, with teaching jobs at three other schools as well as 10 years off to raise her sons. But she never wandered far from her Cloverdale roots.
When she graduated from college in 1985, Tucker was simply prepared to go where there was a job.
"I never felt like I wanted to get out. When I graduated from ISU, I wanted to go where there was a job," Tucker said. "I got a job at Clay City and that was close to home. I wouldn't have wanted to go too far away."
After Clay City, she spent a brief time at Bainbridge Elementary School before taking an extended break from her career to raise two sons.
With the boys getting older, Tucker took a job teaching language and science at Greencastle Middle School.
While at Greencastle, she began to take an interest in getting her administrative license, going back to school at age 50.
"I think it was a good time in my life. Being younger and having small children, I would not have had time to do this," Tucker said. "I was ready for the challenge.
"Being in the classroom for so many years, I think I have a lot to offer," she added. "I have a lot of experience from grades three through eight."
While in the process of getting her license, she mentioned needing to do an administrative internship to Stacie Monnett, who at the time was the principal at both Cloverdale Elementary School and Middle School. Shortly thereafter, Carrie Milner, then the Cloverdale superintendent, called offering the opportunity to teach as well as do the internship with Monnett.
"It was kind of like coming back home," Tucker said. "I loved it at Greencastle but this seemed like a door had opened. I had already moved back down here."
Now in her second year as principal, like Sandy, Tucker is feeling even more at home.
"I feel strongly about making sure we have a positive climate here. We have high expectations for our students and ourselves," Tucker said. "And promoting a sense of community is huge with me. Our teachers do a fantastic job with that."
Bleeding green
Pride and community. Community and pride.
The two are inextricably linked, particularly for those who, by choice, remain in their hometown as adults. The place remains a part of them, and they want to make it better.
At least that's the story for Sandy, Stoltz and Tucker.
"Truly, I'm a Clover at heart," Sandy said. "I wanted to stay in the community and make it the best I could."
Stoltz had a different way of putting it.
"You can bleed green," Stoltz said. "I'm just one of those people that I bleed green."
Tucker looks around the school corporation and realizes the principals aren't the only ones.
"I'm amazed that we have a number of Cloverdale graduates in the system," Tucker said. "I think if you're from here you take pride in that."
Outsiders can be amazed by it, but the town takes great pride in the school, which then returns the favor.
Stoltz recalled hiring a teacher from Terre Haute who was amazed when homecoming week came and the town shut down Main Street -- a U.S. highway, no less -- for the parade.
"He said, 'Wow, you guys have parades?'" Stoltz said with a laugh.
Yes, indeed, Cloverdale High School has parades. It's just one example of the link between a small community and its equally small school.
"I've always said the school is like a city within a city," Stoltz said. "I've only been at Cloverdale but I feel a sense of loyalty. And I feel that loyalty from the community."