Principal Becky

Like the family into which she married, Becky Kiebert is making history. After all, her husband's Uncle Kermit served as director of the Idaho Transportation Department under Gov. Cecil Andrus. He's now one of my husband Bill's good friends in the woods industry and is currently serving as a member of the Bonner County Centennial Committee. Until last year, Kermit's wife Susan served as president of the Bonner County Historical Society.

The Kiebert family is long-established and respected in Bonner County as good, hard-working citizens. Plus, they're a lot of fun. I went to school with Becky's mother-in-law Kay Kiebert. Her hubby's aunt Ruthann Nordgaarden is one of my classmates. Their cousins, Rita and Allen, both graduated a year ahead of me. Then, shall we talk about the Andersons of Selle or the Dunns of Hope. How about John Burkhardt? The list goes on of family members who've left their mark here over decades, extending far beyond my lifetime.

So, it would stand to reason that Becky would join the ranks of family members and make history as the first woman principal at Sandpoint High School. The news of her selection was released yesterday, and I'm sure by now, most of Sandpoint knows it through the grapevine and the newspapers. As one who worked with Becky for a number of years at Sandpoint High School, I wish her well.

Serving as principal to the county's largest high school is no cakewalk. I saw more than enough evidence of that reality during my 33 years of teaching there. That span included Dick Sodorff, who probably lasted the longest of any principal (from the early '60s to the early '80s), Tom Keough, Jim Wilund, Chris Gorchels, Phil "Air" Sword, A.C. Woolnough, and my last year with Pat Valliant and Mary Steele.

Now, I could write some stories about some of the ups and downs encountered while working with those folks. Come to think of it, I have. In my new book, folks will read about Dick and the famous pie-eating calamity, Jim and the unforgettable Tony Bottarini story, A.C. and the decision to return to teaching, among others. Not every story shows these folks in their best light, but I'll refrain from spilling too many beans.

A high school principal cannot be all things to all people; therein lies the challenge. In managing a teaching staff and working with young people, the person in charge must walk a fine line while exerting leadership. Principals must clearly define their philosophies but be willing to compromise when suggestions are offered. They should work for inclusion and support of all staff members and work hard to avoid divisiveness by circling wagons.

They should continually recognize the efforts of their staff members and their students who come from all walks of life. In essence, the principal is the head cheerleader. That means keeping in touch with the community and remaining a visible symbol of their school. Consistency is another important key to success, as are knowledge, common sense, integrity and continued effort to keep up with sensible educational trends.

I wouldn't want to be walking in Becky's shoes right now, but I will say that from my own experience of working with her, she's got the heart, the intellect, the drive and a wide swath of educational experience to tackle this monumental job. In addition, she's worked in the local system long enough to have seen its idiosyncrasies and to know how to react when a familiar old problem may start rising within the ranks.

Becky's husband Mason is one of my former students----a smart one too. He loved literature when he was a senior and often added some great insights to class discussion. Like the rest of his family, his sense of humor is well-honed. Mason works as a lineman for Northern Lights, Inc. and takes folks on float trips down the Salmon River during the summer time. Mason and Becky have two cute daughters, who've trailed along with Becky as she's worked her long hours in education as a counselor and principal.

I'm happy for Becky this morning, and I wish her great success as she turns a new page in the history of Sandpoint High School. I'm going to place my bets and wager that she'll tackle the challenges, she'll slip from time to time, but overall, she'll write some good history for Sandpoint High School and for Bonner County during the next few years.