Fayette County Schools Superintendent Stu Silberman announced today the appointment of veteran administrator Jock Gum as the interim principal for Booker T. Washington Academy. Gum, who has agreed to postpone his retirement to accept the position, will begin immediately.
“In my 34 years of being in education, I’ve worked with lots of principals and Jock’s one of the best I’ve ever worked with,” Silberman said. “He has phenomenal people skills and he has a way of bringing people together.”
The long-time principal of Morton Middle School was set to retire this fall after 27 years in education when he was approached about the position. As much as Gum was looking forward to retirement, he said his love of the Fayette County Public Schools and his heart for serving kids led him to stay.
“Because of all the positive things the superintendent and elementary supervisor have told me about the school, the staff and the students and because I’ve lived in Lexington for 65 years and care so much about our community, it was an easy decision to make,” he said.
Ironically, Gum started his administrative career in the two school buildings where he will now work. He taught in the Price Road building (which now houses the intermediate grades of Booker T. Washington Academy) the first year it opened as what used to be called the Bluegrass School for Retarded Children. After two years in the classroom, he became principal for eight years, from 1970 to 1978. When the Price Road building became full, two overflow classes were placed in the Howard Street building which was then Booker T. Washington Elementary and now houses the school’s primary grades.
“It feels right that I started my administrative career there and now I will end it in the same place,” Gum said.
In 1978, Gum left education for 12 years to own his own business. “Then my wife told me that I used to smile a lot more when I was working with kids. She was right,” he recalls. Gum taught sixth grade science at Morton for six years and spent three years as the assistant principal, before becoming the principal for the past seven. Under his leadership, Morton Middle School became one of the highest achieving middle schools in the state. Gum is also the third most senior member of the district Equity Council.
Gum will replace former principal Peggy Petrilli, who resigned last week.
“It’s been a very unfortunate time for everybody concerned at Booker T Washington,” Gum said. “I have both the interest and I think I have the ability to help us stay focused on what’s most important – the education of children.”
Describing his leadership style as “supportive, hands on, child centered and fair,” Gum said his first order of business will be making everyone feel respected and welcome. “I am both willing and able to listen,” he said, hopeful that people will take advantage of his open door policy. Relationship building is Gum’s strength; his catch phrase, “Work hard, play fair and take care of each other,” captures the essence of the climate he helps to build at a school.
Gum, 66, has been married to Henry Clay educator Jan Gum for 46 years. The couple has three children and three grandchildren. Proud to say he’s a product of the Fayette County Public Schools, Gum attended Ashland Elementary, Morton Middle and Lafayette and Henry Clay high schools. Other than the time he spent in the United States Army and the Peace Corps, he has lived his whole life in Lexington. Gum earned his bachelor’s degree in biological science, his master’s degree in geography and his education specialist’s degree, all from the University of Kentucky.
SOURCE: FCPS press release
“Because of all the positive things the superintendent and elementary supervisor have told me about the school, the staff and the students and because I’ve lived in Lexington for 65 years and care so much about our community, it was an easy decision to make,” Gum said in a statement H-L posted tonight. “It feels right that I started my administrative career there and now I will end it in the same place.”.
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