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(This article, reprinted with permission, featuring Terry Black, retiring principal of Montrose Elementary, appeared in Bexley News on May 23, 2007) Event helps Montrose say thanks to outgoing principal Montrose Elementary School Principal Terry Black is set to retire at the end of this school year after spending 30 years with the Bexley City School District.
Black, 61, has been in education a total of 38 years, working first with Columbus Public Schools before coming to Bexley in 1977 as assistant principal at the high school. He became principal of Montrose in 1983. He said retirement will enable him to do a lot of reading and traveling, but he is retiring mainly because he wanted to focus on his health. "I got to the point where I needed to take care of some health matters and I'm very comfortable and feel good about the decision," he said. In recognition of his retirement, Montrose dedicated its Arts Festival, held Thursday, to Black. Organizers had invited members of the school community, past and present, to share their memories as part of the event and had planned a special presentation for the evening. As an additional tribute, plans to build a Terry Black Outdoor Learning Center have been announced. The goal is to put the Learning Center, a configuration of four tables and benches with a canopy, on the southern end of the playing fields near the corner of Remington and Mound Street. "My career here at Bexley has been very rewarding, and my experience at Montrose has been unbelievably positive," Black said. "The key to our success here has been people and the belief that we are here to educate the whole child and not just for test scores," Black said. "Teachers and parents believe that, and I think one of the things that we started since I've been here about Montrose is a sharing and caring community. We've had ample evidence year in and year out how the children learn to share and care about other parts of the community," he said. "I would hope that the sharing and caring and learning would hold its place." Black had requested retirement in July 2006. In order to provide the district time to find his replacement, the Bexley Board of Education approved his rehire status for the 2006-07 school year. Earlier this year it was announced that Tommie Radd, an Ohio native and current professor of counselor education at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, will be Black's replacement as principal beginning this fall.
As for the
future, Black said overall he will miss the interaction with children,
but he certainly does not have any regrets.
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