Rockford — The thing that excites Ricky Clark about education is its potential to connect people. To Clark, the new principal of Rockford High School, that potential exists even at the largest schools in the state, one of which he’s now leading.
“I believe in kids being connected to where they go to school,” he said. “Whether it’s with a person or through an activity, I’m a big fan of different ways to get kids connected so the building is ‘smaller’ than it might appear from the outside.”
Ahead of the start of his first year at the helm of RHS, Clark sat down with SNN to talk about what motivates him, how he motivates others and whether he’s on Team Dog or Team Cat.
Other positions you have held in education: Clark has spent the last several years as the assistant principal at RHS. Prior to that, he held a hybrid assistant principal/athletic director/student activities coordinator/teacher position at North Rockford Middle School.
Before coming to Rockford, he taught special education and general education classes at Grandville High School. He also spent some time teaching high school in the Lansing area, and he’s coached everything from middle-school basketball to varsity football.
How about jobs outside education? “I’ve done lots of things with my hands, as I reflect on it,” Clark said as he listed off some of his other jobs, which include baseball field maintenance, car detailing and painting, as well as work in coaching clinics and as a football officiator.
What drew you to Rockford High School? “It was easy to see that Rockford is a place that would bring the best out of me. … This place is extremely dynamic. There’s something different happening in every corner of the building — from athletics, fine arts, band, orchestra, choir and the stuff happening in the classrooms — and I felt like it would push me to grow even more than I already have, and that excited me.”
Why did you want to become an administrator? Clark said that in his time as a teacher, he worked under some inspiring principals who showed him just how impactful good administrators could be in school communities.
“I had great leaders that I worked for, (who) were really good at what they did, so they could have a positive impact on all corners of the building,” he said. “That’s what excited me about it: to have an impact on even more than just my classroom. To have an impact on not only students, but also staff.
“I love the leadership side because I get to work more in supporting staff … and still get to work with the students. So I feel like I’ve got the best of both worlds.”
Education/degrees:
- Bachelor’s degree in education, Central Michigan University
- Master’s degree in educational leadership, Grand Valley State University
What ideas or strategies will you bring to RHS? “My job as a principal is to make sure I have the right people at the table that are asking the right questions at the right time. … We’re going to continue to grow, and that’s something we’ve done over the last couple years especially. And the community, the students, my staff, they can count on me to make sure I’m constantly listening.
“I think (the community) can count on me to continue to support what’s been great, and continue to look, with a critical lens, at what we need to change.”
How will you encourage student voice in your building? Clark said he has some plans. He hasn’t ironed out all the details yet, but he hopes to capitalize on the existing foundation for student involvement at RHS.
“We’ve got a ton of awesome things happening: student groups, athletics, our co-curriculars, whatever it might be. I’d love to get them all in the same room to try to build our student culture more strategically.”
Clark said he has the advantage of having spent a lot of time in the building, engaging and interacting with students.
“It’s always important to stop and slow down and listen to what our kids are actually experiencing and what their perspective is, because that’s the one that matters. Ultimately, we’re here to serve kids.”
Dogs or cats, and why? “I’ll go with dogs. I like their energy.”
What song would you pick to define you? “I’m gonna go with Journey, ‘Don’t Stop Believing.’ It’s upbeat, it’s something I’ve always listened to at different points in my life. … It’s always on any playlist I have going on, whether I’m working, golfing, chilling — it’s good for everything.”
What is one thing on your bucket list? “I fish a lot with my kids in the summer, so my bucket list item would be to catch a muskie with my kids.”
Read more from Rockford:
• Book Bus keeps reading skills sharp during the summer
• High-fiving, fist-bumping principal named ‘most inspiring’
