Switzerland County High School Assistant Principal and athletic director David Todd has been honored by the Indiana Association of School Principals as its “Assistant Principal of the Year” for District 12.
He was honored along with the winners from the state’s other districts during a ceremony held on November 22nd in Indianapolis during the association’s annual State Principals Conference.
District 12 includes 31 school corporations in the Southern part of Indiana.
He was nominated for the honor by high school principal Gregg Goewert, and then David Todd had to send in information about his educational career, as well as providing letters from members of the community.
“I am just a small piece of the puzzle,” David Todd said. “Administratively, there are so many people who help, from Gregg (Principal Gregg Goewert) to Marla (Guidance Director Marla Edwards) to the secretaries, custodians, kitchen staff, and – of course – the teachers and students.”
“He was a candidate this year, and it was a no-brainer for the district to move David forward to be considered at the state level,” Switzerland County High School Principal Gregg Goewert said. “This is his eighth year, and he’s just a really caring individual. He puts in all these hours as an athletic director. His is literally my teammate. I believe that he and Marla (Edwards, Director of Guidance) and I have a lot of similarities when it comes to philosophy in what we believe in for kids and what’s best for kids. This was a no-brainer to take the time for the nomination.”
“He knows when he needs to be firm and take a little stronger tone with the kids,” Principal Goewert continued, “And he knows when he needs to be more supportive with the kids and tell them ‘this is what Mr. Goewert is trying to teach you, or this is what one of our teachers is trying to teach you’. He handles things in a very high quality way.”
Of all of the outstanding qualities that David Todd has, Gregg Goewert says that one of his best is his ability to ‘build bridges’.
“He is definitely a strong bridge builder for myself and Marla, especially when it comes to challenging kids with curriculum; as far as challenging kids to meet the expectations that we firmly believe that every single kid who has the cognitive ability should earn a high school diploma,” Gregg Goewert said. “When a parent comes in who may not know me because I’m still new, this being my third year; he can build that bridge so that the parent knows that I’m caring and I’m committed and we’re doing what’s best for their kid.”
“I think David’s record speaks for itself,” Switzerland County School Superintendent Mike Jones said. “David performs all of his duties. I think one of his strong points is his ability to build relationships with students and staff and to communicate. Those assets have allowed him to be successful and to be recognized by his peers. He’s very deserving.”
The superintendent said that David Todd’s ability to communicate is appreciated at all levels.
“I talk to David a lot because I trust his judgment,” Superintendent Jones said. “Of course, I also talk to Gregg and the other principals. With David, he’s always got his ear to the ground and on the pulse of the community. He talks to me, we use each other as resources. Those types of things have caused David to be successful and to be so highly regarded by his peers.”
Although it’s an individual honor, the superintendent said that it also speaks well of the entire school corporation.
“Absolutely,” the superintendent said. “This is an honor that our entire school corporation should celebrate. We have an outstanding school system and David is a part of that.”
David Todd graduated from Southwestern High School in 1985; and from Indiana University in 1991. His first teaching position was at Southwestern teaching math and coaching basketball; and he came to the Switzerland County School Corporation in 1997.
He taught math at the middle school for one year before moving to the high school; and he became the boys varsity basketball coach in 2000. He retired as the head coach in 2006; and is now in his second season as the junior varsity girls basketball coach.
He left the classroom to take the position of assistant principal and athletic director for the 2007-2008 school year.
As the assistant principal, David Todd is responsibilities including working alongside the principal as well as handling athletic duties. He works with curriculum and discipline, as well as day to day duties as they arise involving the 460 students at the high school.
He is also responsible for overseeing 18 different sports that students participate in at the high school level.
“One of my big areas as overall school morale,” David Todd said. “Working with staff and students.”
He also has issues with people who see the assistant principal position as merely a stepping stone to a principal’s position.
“One of the things that I found interesting at the conference was that they told us what types of things we could do in order to prepare ourselves to go and get a principal’s job,” David Todd said. “I don’t look at the assistant principal’s position as a stepping stone. If I wanted to do that, I would have done it. For me it’s important that the assistant principal’s position is valued in that way. I don’t consider myself just an assistant principal, I am an assistant principal and an athletic director, because I deal with all of it. Ultimately I see myself as a part of the school in general. We’re all here for the same cause. I guess I get offended in general when I hear people ask, ‘When are you going to become a principal?’ I enjoy the job I have.”
“I am appreciative of the honor,” he continued. “But we all work hard. We have many teachers who deserve all different types of accolades. I think everybody deserves it. I am appreciative of it. It’s a nice thing for our school. Our teachers work hard and deserve some recognition.”
David Todd and his wife, Angie, live near Vevay and have three children: son Logan is a sophomore at Indiana University; daughter Brooke is a junior at Switzerland County High School; and son Cooper is a second grader at Jefferson-Craig Elementary.