By Peter Mikhael
After six years at Richardson as assistant principal, Josh Eason will head to North Junior High beginning this fall. Eason said he’s been ready for this position for three years, but has been waiting for the right opportunity.
“I really wanted to stay in Richardson,” Eason said. “I really believe in the mission of what we do in preparing students for their global future. I went to Yale elementary, Apollo Junior High, and Berkner High School, so this is the community I want to serve as an educator to.”
Eason started his career in the Lake Highlands community, teaching science for 11 years at Lake Highlands Junior High, Lake Highlands Freshmen Center and LHHS. In 2008, Eason took an assistant principal position at Richardson after receiving a master’s degree in educational leadership from Texas A&M; Commerce.
“Mr. Pickitt offered me a position here as an assistant principal and I took it – it was my first choice,” Eason said. “It was a great experience – it was a lot of learning my first year. One of the things that really appealed to me to become an administrator was to have a bigger impact on the school than just my classroom. So, I got to have that opportunity here, and it was really great. Mr. Pickitt and Mr. Bruner both have supported me in my leadership development. They gave me a lot of opportunities on the campus with teachers, student groups and the magnet program. So those were really great experiences.”
As assistant principal, Eason said dealing with students who have academic or behavioral problems taught him how to help others rather than resort to traditional punitive methods.
“Don’t take things at face value,” Eason said. “When a student tells you something, take the time to really find out what’s going on. A lot of the problems that students deal with, or that we deal with, are usually symptoms of a bigger problem. Seeking out what those problems are and how we could interact and help students get over the hump is something I’ve learned for sure. Sometimes there are just obstacles in the way, and part of my job as a principal is to help remove those obstacles.”
However, Eason said he also got to know kids who were having a lot of success. He said his favorite part of the job is when students share their success with him.
“When students accomplish something they’ve been working for and they share that with me – that’s really neat,” Eason said. “Graduation is part of that, it’s kind of the ultimate goal in high school. But it’s any time a student finally got a job they wanted outside of school, or they got accepted into the university of their first choice, or they finally made a B in calculus and they’ve been working on it all year. Getting to share victories with students is really powerful.”
At North Junior High, Eason wants to form the same relationship with his students and staff and share his success with them.
“I’ve learned in my years of experience that people don’t always remember what you say, but they remember how you made them feel,” Eason said. “So coming into a new I school, I want people to be proud of their school, I want them to want what’s best for students. I want our students to be proud of our school.”
Pickitt said Eason knows how to bring people together and is committed to solving problems, and advises Eason to be cautious when making decisions.
“The only weakness that I have seen is his passion for helping people to the point that he allows that to overpower his taking care of his own self,” Pickitt said. “Go slow, listen, think about what you hear and see, and sleep on any changes before you try them. But most of all, be yourself because that is what got you to this point.”
Eason said he will leave Richardson with fond memories of the students and staff.
“My first year – it was my first or second football game that I was at – one of the students in my alphabet group tore his shirt off during the game and ran across the field,” Eason said. “So the Monday after that Friday, I had to call the parent in and the student in and discipline the student, and the reason I remember that story is because that student is now in college and wants to be a teacher.”
Many students said they built strong relationships with Mr. Eason during his years at Richardson, overcoming the barriers between them and administrators.
“Mr. Eason always had a way of understanding how we felt, and he was down to earth,” senior Rashard Pleasant said. “I’m going to miss how he would always ask about how I was doing.”
Bruner also expressed his sadness about Eason leaving, but he said that the school will continue to support him as he transitions.
“Mr. Eason is well read; therefore, he is up on current trends in education and instruction,” Bruner said. “His only weakness is the fact that he is leaving the ‘Nest’ to strike out on his own. We wish him the best and are here to support him as needed.”