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February 20, 2009

Perfect Fit

Blake named principal at Mildred Elementary School

By Raymond Linex II

MILDRED – Robin Blake imagined herself as an athletic director, maybe a high school administrator. She’s overjoyed about her brand new role, though.

On Monday, the Mildred school board approved Blake as its elementary school’s new principal. She’ll succeed Paula McNeel, who has been with the district for almost 40 years.

Blake has been the assistant the past five years.

“Obviously, I’m real excited,” Blake said Thursday from the assistant’s office.

She will not move to the big corner office until the summer.

“And, I’m very nervous,” she said. “Ms. McNeel’s been so good about preparing me that I feel very well prepared. Still, jumping into that position is a little intimidating.”

McNeel’s been a fixture as principal since 1981, but seems to be assured by the board’s decision.

“It’s a marvelous choice,” McNeel said. “There couldn’t be one better. She was the right choice.”

Blake attended school at Mildred, and played basketball for McNeel in junior high.

Superintendent Doug Lane pointed to Blake’s 14 years with the district as an “incredible teacher,” her organizational skills and her “calm and consistent” approach to her job as reasons he recommended her to the board. Lane said she has always had a good rapport with the faculty, students and community.

“She’s an outstanding fit to follow in behind a great one like McNeel,” he said.

Blake also coached a little too, making the Lady Eagles basketball team one of the best in the Golden Circle during the late ‘90s into this decade. After high school and a year at Navarro, where she played basketball, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s at Stephen F. Austin before returning to school and getting her principal’s certificate in 2003 from the University of Texas-Arlington.

At the time, it was only the high school level she considered.

“(High school) is all the experience I had,” said Blake, who still teaches history half a day at the high school before heading over to the elementary school. “But I’m fortunate to get the job here.

“I love the elementary level.”

While McNeel has the persona of being very outgoing and authoritative, Blake’s considered reserved and quiet. She said she’s very talkative around the people that know her, though, and she’s handled more and more of the discipline the last few years.

Blake doesn’t plan to mirror McNeel exactly, but she doesn’t intend to make change for change’s sake, either.

“We already have a great teaching staff, and I don’t want to mess with what’s going on,” she said. “(McNeel) really cares about people, and I do too.”

One of the things she may add is a routine newsletter to parents, just to try and keep them informed. There will probably be others, and that’s a good thing, McNeel said.

“She’s going to make this her school and there will be changes,” McNeel said. “I want that.”

Elective courses are on the radar for Blake, and she’s already started to think like the principal, pondering other moves. McNeel said teachers are already starting to take issues to Blake.

Once she can leave the high school teaching behind, Blake knows she’ll have the opportunity to make the most important transition.

“I need to be out in the hallways more, seeing the kids more,” she said.

That day is coming.

—————

Click here to e-mail Raymond Linex II.

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