By GRAYSON LEE MAXWELL
Rutherford County Schools
Lisa Fitzcharles is an assistant principal at LaVergne High School. She has served with Rutherford County Schools for 12 years. In this week’s #RutherfordFaces, she answers questions about her purpose and impact.
Q: How did you get started in your career?
A: As a senior in college, I wanted to spread my wings and go somewhere a couple of hours away. I attended a Rutherford County teachers fair and I just saw blue everywhere. After talking to a couple of different principals, I got a call and was offered a position. I just had this big impression of La Vergne High School. I had other offers, but LaVergne High School gave me the best impression. I started teaching and now I’ve been here ever since (12 years). I taught physics for seven years, was an instructional coach for three, and now this is my second year as an assistant principal.
Q: What makes the students of LaVergne High School and Rutherford High School unique?
A: Our students are complimented all the time. When we have visitors, our students will hold the doors open for them without thinking. That’s just how they’ve been raised. They speak to visitors. They’re polite. We have amazing parents in our community who have raised amazing kids.
Q: What do you love most about your job?
A: I absolutely love the assistant principal position because its 50 percent teacher and 50 percent student support, and I love both roles. I love supporting the teachers and digging into the art of teaching with them, and I love connecting with the students. As assistant principal I get to interact with students all day. While at the same time, supporting teachers constantly. That’s my purpose.
Q: Anything else we should know about you?
A: I’m just super proud of our teachers. The profession of teaching is so noble, and our teachers could do anything with their lives. I was talking to one of our math teachers yesterday and he has an engineering degree. He could be doing anything — but he chooses to teach and chooses LaVergne because that’s where he believes he can make a difference.
