After serving more than three decades in education, both teaching and coaching, Montezuma-Cortez High School Principal Gordon Shepherd is calling it a day.
Shepherd said its time for a new set of eyes to come in and bring a fresh perspective.
But he may not be out of the game completely.
Ive been at it for 35 years and Im not saying I wouldnt come back to it at some point, Shepherd said from behind his desk. But Im just tired.
As a history teacher, Shepherd stood before students for 28 of those years. He has a strong presence in the classroom, according to his wife Ramona, and expected a great deal of his students.
Shepherd, 57, speaks with a deep, full voice. Hes a tall man 6-foot-8 and has an easy grin. He began teaching in Dayton, Ore. where he stayed for nine years before returning to the Southwest.
Teaching was in his blood. The son of a teacher, Shepherd was born in New Mexico, and as a youngster Shepherd moved around the Southwest with his family. His father taught in Chinle, Ariz., for a number of years before moving to Durango where Shepherd graduated from high school. He finished college in Oregon where he finally landed his first position in front of students, but only after a reassuring experience as a roofer did he know for certain that thats where he wanted to be.
I just became more and more convinced every day that I showed up for that (roofing) job that I wanted to be in the classroom, Shepherd said. The more I started thinking what I wanted to do with my life. I reflected a lot on the lifestyle we had when my dad was teaching and coaching. I really liked the idea of being able to work with kids.
Thats when he went down the ladder from the roof and got on the ladder of education.
He said that students are energizing.
Kids keep you young, he said. The world is new to them every day and when youre involved with that, you kind of adopt that mentality.
Shepherd is known for student field trips to the East Coast, taking groups to museums and restaurants in cities like Boston, and Philadelphia. Theyve seen Broadway shows and Yankee games in New York City and toured the sights of the nations capitol.
Some of the best stories in my life came from those trips, he said.
While working in the Pacific Northwest, Shepherd met his wife.
We met on the ball fields, said Ramona Shepherd, whos also a teacher and coach. She said her husband always wanted to return to his stomping grounds in southwest Colorado.
He has served as principal at the junior/senior high school in Nucla, Colo., where he developed a rapport with current Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 interim superintendent Mary Rubadeau. He was assistant principal at Cortez Middle School for two years.
Shepherd said he misses the class environment.
I think back to when I was teaching in the classroom, Shepherd said. I really liked that experience a lot. But I kept thinking maybe I could expand my influence by working with teachers if Id go into administration. It was a difficult decision.
Shepherd is retiring in the midst of several local education issues that have yet to be resolved.
Theyve all been crisis management issues that Ive dealt with, he said. I wouldnt say Ive come into this position in what I would call the heyday of education. When I look at how little funding the state puts into education in terms of per capita income, its pretty disenchanting.
He said the school district is faced with mounting sets of challenges and how they are dealt with will map the direction for education in the area. Matters like the four versus five-day school week, the search for a new superintendent and dealing with aging facilities are among the pressing issues.
Shepherd backs the recent school boards decision to return to a five-day school week.
I can say Im a pretty old-school person, and its hard for me to see how were going to tell the state that we can make every effort we can to show improvement when we dont have kids in school five days a week, he said. It wasnt about student achievement originally; it was about other things and now its become an issue.
Although some people are upset, he believes the change will be good for students.
Ramona Shepherd respects her husbands firm commitment to education.
As an educator, I have such respect for him. I know his colleagues do too, she said.
Although Shepherd may be packing up his office at the end of this school year, he still wants to see a new high school for students and the community. Re-1 submitted the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grant, which would lead to the construction of a new high school if everything goes well.
I think the BEST grant would be one of the very best things that happens to this community, Shepherd said. Its the last real help that we can get.
If approved, the BEST grant would secure $20 million from the Colorado Department of Education. Another $20 million would come from the district.
He said sooner or later a new high school will need to be built and the BEST grant is a way to do it with little burden to the taxpayers.
Shepherd said a new school would be an investment in the students.
As far as his replacement, Shepherd said the person will need a strong set of skills and understanding of the states new academic standards and to be able to work closely with the new superintendent.
Theyre going to have to think a lot alike about this school, which is basically a microcosm of the district, so it can move forward. Our graduation and dropout rates are problematic, so theyll need to work on that as well, he said.
Together the Shepherds have raised three sons. All have drifted into professions that help others. Their oldest, Cameron, 32, is the third-generation teacher, working in Arizona. Ryan, 27, works as a therapist in Durango, and their youngest son, Matthew, works with children for social services in Colorado Springs.
Im pleased that my sons picked a line of work where they are trying to make a difference, Shepherd said.
Shepherd said his lifes work was a calling, almost a mission.
Its the hardest job youll love and you wont regret it. You do it because its the right thing to do, and you feel it because of what it does for kids.
Ramona Shepherd described her husband as a tireless educator with a strong sense of humor.
He has his seriousness about educational importance, but hes also a kidder, she said. He loves to laugh.
As a school leader, Shepherd says its the teachers that make the difference.
We have such hardworking people in these buildings, he said. I think about how many wonderful teachers I have known since Ive been here.
Shepherd might not be done with the classroom. His wife said he is considering teaching on Native American reservations in New Mexico or Arizona. He also applied for a license in New Zealand.
Thats just the kind of person he is, Ramona Shepherd said.
But for now hes just tired.
When you look back, you want to be able to smile and say, Im pleased with the choices I made and I think I made a difference, Shepherd said. I didnt leave it the way I found it.
Reach Brandon Mathis at [email protected]
