Q&A with Principal Lee Jones
October is National Principals Month in ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ ISD, and we’ve spent the month spotlighting several principals from across the district. We’re wrapping it up today with Bowie High School principal Lee Jones, who is ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ through and through. Jones grew up in ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ, went to ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ ISD schools, graduated from Lamar High School, went to UT ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ and has worked in the district since 2007.
Jones’ school was also the site of a tragic shooting last school year that resulted in the death of Etavian Barnes. We talked with Jones about that and other topics.
〉How have your students responded this school year to the tragedy from last year?
This year has been a lot different. We are committed to be a campus that preaches non-violence on the campus. We have what we’re calling Anthony Strather’s [former Bowie student killed in 2019] Peace Project. The students have done the heavy lifting. They’ve done a terrific job. They are the ones walking around preaching peace and non-violence. They have led a peace project. All we’re doing is helping them get the message out and letting them know what our school goal is, which is how to teach our kids how to deal with conflicts in a non-violent way.
〉Did the shooting change you as a principal?
One hundred percent. It changed my perspective on a lot of things. How I deal with kids. How I interact with kids. How I deal and interact with parents. Every two weeks I put out my newsletter and one of the safety measures is checking your kids social media pages and making sure you know what’s going on with school also. I have those talks with them.
〉One of your jobs in the district was as a 21st-century program sports director at Nichols Junior High. What is that?
I did an after-school program, and it was for at-risk students who didn’t have anything to do after school. What we did was take a group of males, and we taught them how to deal with conflict – as well as how to be a young man. And then we did sports with them through the YMCA.
〉What does it mean to you to be in the ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ ISD for so long?
This is my home. I was born and raised in ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ. I went to school in ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ. It just means a lot to me to be able to give back in the same city where people helped me make the decision to get into education.
〉What’s your favorite part of the job?
It’s a new day every day. Dealing with kids on an everyday basis and getting to say that you are making a difference because you get to impact their future.