In the administrative arena of Harford County Public Schools, employees seeking those positions are sometimes subject to mid-year or other unpredictable moves thanks to a variety of reasons. Someone might retire, for example, and someone from a different school is pulled to fill their position.
Luckily for Mr. Collis, a 12-year Fallston math teacher, the system has worked in his favor. After being in training for three years, the time has finally come for him to retire the Trigonometry Teacher polos and slip on his Assistant Principal button-ups at North Harford High School starting April 1.
Mr. Milanoski, a current Assistant Principal at Fallston, has worked with Mr. Collis extensively while he has been training for the position, saying, “Mr. Collis has always come to the office to ask if help is needed, and he has been in the office whenever he can be to gain experience and see how things are handled.”
Mr. Collins, the principal of Fallston, only has good things to say about the up-and-coming administrator, explaining how he “has ideas.” He adds, “There are some [administrators] who will do the work, but that’s all they know to do. He always looks to do more.”
One of the “ideas” he has come up with is the afterschool program WIN. The initiative was designed to “identify students who are close to failing a class and getting them here to get their work done,” explains Mr. Collins. “Our goal is to have people do better than just failing, but it’s important for students to see the momentum of earning credit instead of being in a deep, dark hole.”
When asked why he wants to transition from a teacher to an administration role, Mr. Collis explains how “[he] feels that as an Assistant Principal [he] will be able to have a different dynamic with students and parents.” He understands that he will never be everyone’s favorite, but he “would like to think they acknowledge that [he] was always trying to be fair and had their best interests at heart.”
It’s because of this that he will have no problem with the change, as Mr. Milanoski’s only piece of advice is to “always do what is in the best interest of kids” and “get involved with the community and parents.”
“Teaching has been a huge part of my life, but I am excited to pursue this next progression in my career,” explained Mr. Collis. “Fallston has been a huge part of my life for the past 12 years, and I really hope that everyone knows how much they mean to me, and how much they had an impact on making me the professional I am today.”
Though we are sad to see Mr. Collis leave, this is a well-earned position, and we couldn’t be more excited for North Harford High School’s newest Assistant Principal!
