plus 1, Principal lands 'dream job' at career center - msnbc.com

Principal lands 'dream job' at career center - msnbc.com

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 04:13 AM PST

RUSKIN — When Sandra Bailey gets up in the morning, she simply can't wait to get to work.

As the new principal of the South County Career Center, Bailey finally has realized a career goal.

"For the past 15 years I've wanted to be a principal, and this is the perfect place for me," she said. "I love coming to work every single day. I'm here early, and I don't leave until they're about to shut the gate on me.

"This is my dream job."

Bailey, 57, is no stranger to the area. Prior to her appointment to the career center in September, she was assistant principal at Burnett Middle in Seffner. Before that she spent 27 years at Eisenhower Elementary in Gibsonton as a teacher, science department head and assistant principal.

Born and raised in Lansing, Mich., Bailey earned her bachelor's degree in physical education in 1974 from Northern Michigan University in Marquette and then joined the Peace Corps for a two-year stint in Costa Rica. She learned to speak, read and write Spanish there while teaching physical education and setting up programs in her area of expertise for others to continue after her departure.

When she returned to the United States, she enrolled at Michigan State University in Lansing and earned a second bachelor's degree — this time in bilingual education.

In 1980, Bailey moved to Apollo Beach and began her career with Hillsborough County schools as a teacher at Eisenhower. Seven years later, she earned a master's in education from the University of South Florida.

She is married, has two grown daughters and lives in St. Pete Beach.

When the career center's former principal, Cleto "Sundy" Chazares, was asked to transfer to Simmons Career in Plant City, Bailey jumped at the opportunity to lead South County.

"I had done a lot of work with kids who don't do things the traditional way," she said. "Life has a way of getting in the way for so many of these students. I wanted to come here to help them graduate."

The challenge of helping them do so is what motivates her.

"It's just awesome to see the changes in these kids, once they learn to believe in themselves," she said.

As the Ruskin center's new principal, Bailey wants to keep the school's existing career programs — culinary, construction, first response, certified nursing assistant, Junior ROTC and marketing — going strong.

But she hopes to add a child care worker licensing program and bring back automotive. And she wants to increase community awareness of the positive things happening at the center.

"Some people think this is a place for bad kids and that's absolutely not true," Bailey said. "There are no bad kids here.

"We don't have the discipline issues of a big school because we know our students individually. They're not lost in a crowd."

South County Career Center is an alternative high school from which students graduate with a performance-based diploma. They are required to pass the FCAT tests in math and reading, earn three sequential credits in a career track of their choosing, earn eight academic credits and then pass the GED.

Taking three classes per day — in reading, math and their career choice — the center's 300 students work at their own pace and skill level under the guidance of 19 teachers. Once they've reached the minimum 10th-grade FCAT standard for reading and math, they study additional subjects in their GED classes.

To learn more or arrange a tour, call Victoria Thomas at (813) 233-3335. The center is at 2810 John Sherman Way.

lkindle@tampatrib.com

(813) 731-8138

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