“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Who hasn’t been asked that infamous question as a kid! But how many of you answered, “…the principal of the school!” I would guess not many!
Mandy Randles was no different. Yet, here she is now, the current principal at Burton Elementary School – and loving it.
“I was able to watch her throughout the years enjoy her career and the wonderful parents, staff, and community members within the school district,” says Mandy.
As the daughter of parents who both graduated from Berkshire schools, Mandy had many influential teachers and enjoyed her education at Claridon Elementary and Berkshire High School, which, by the way, included having her mom as her first grade teacher. “I was able to watch her throughout the years enjoy her career and the wonderful parents, staff, and community members within the school district,” says Mandy.
While a student at Berkshire, she participated in many clubs including National Honor Society, Student Council, Care Team, and Spanish National Honor Society. She also ran cross country with coach Julie Cole, who is still coaching the sport, as well as took part in basketball and softball. On top of all that, she was class president, too. A busy young high achiever for sure!
Upon leaving high school, Mandy knew she was headed off to Miami University for a degree in education. But she still wasn’t thinking about becoming a school principal. After graduating, as she was considering a position in the Columbus schools, an opportunity opened for teaching kindergarten at Berkshire. She applied and was offered the job.
But how did Mandy go from kindergarten teacher to principal?
“I was an athletic director for three years, then an assistant principal for three years. Cindy Ducca, the previous principal, is the reason why I went into administration. She is a great mentor and guided me into taking classes for my administration degree. When I came to Berkshire, I took her position in kindergarten when she moved into the first grade position. We worked closely together and when she became the principal of Burton Elementary, I worked for her at Burton, finished my degree, and became her assistant. I was in the assistant principal role, and she gave me so many opportunities to make the experience positive…I was able to apply for the position as principal when she took a job in another district. I am so grateful that she gave me the advice to pursue this career!”
All jobs come with rewards and challenges, and being a principal of an elementary school is no exception. “This is my first year as principal of Burton Elementary. I love being a principal because you can make decisions to help do what is best for kids and their development. I love working with the kids, staff, parents, and community. I am very fortunate to be able to do this everyday!” shares Mandy. As for challenges? “Keeping organized and efficient is the key to staying ahead and being able to assist everyone and what they need,” she says.
“Our school plan is to continue to collaboratively work together to make Burton Elementary a place where kids are happy, safe, and in a positive learning environment.”
Mandy plans to continue to support the many programs she and Cindy Ducca developed together over the years. “Cindy worked hard to develop a lot of successful programs, and we were then able to work together over the past three years to continue to build on our successes,” she says. “Our school plan is to continue to collaboratively work together to make Burton Elementary a place where kids are happy, safe, and in a positive learning environment.”
When I asked Mandy what she would like to be remembered for when she finishes her career as principal, she shared, “I would like to be remembered most for making kids feel good about themselves and that we worked together as a team to make that happen. Kids will always remember how you make them feel, and I would want them to remember that they were happy and that we made them feel good at Burton Elementary.”
Mandy currently lives in Chesterland with her husband of two years. They enjoy sports and sporting events, spending time with their families and friends, and love to travel as well. She especially loves the way residents in Geauga County take pride in their homes and their schools and believes they truly care about each other. “All the schools in the area have people who want what is best for their families and friends. It’s a place where you feel supported.”
Burton Elementary is fortunate to have a principal like Mandy Randles who not only knows the school system personally, but who also has a passion for providing children with the best possible education while maintaining an atmosphere of genuine concern for their feelings along the way.
We wish you great success in achieving your goals to give students a solid foundation of basic skills and instilling a love for learning.
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