Couch hired to be next Williamsburg Schools Principal

Amon Couch

Williamsburg Independent School’s next principal is one of its former principals.

Williamsburg Superintendent Denny Byrd announced during Tuesday’s monthly Williamsburg Independent Board of Education meeting that current Clay County Superintendent Amon Couch has been selected as the next principal at Williamsburg.
Couch will replace Gary Peters, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

"He just has a lot of experience and brings an awful lot to the table," Byrd said. "He’s a good guy. He will do a really good job for us. We’re real excited about it. We’re thrilled."

For Couch, the job is a chance to come home.

"I started there in 1992 as a brand new teacher. They gave me a shot there and I kind of cut my teeth professionally in that building," Couch said. "I love those people. Many of those teachers and parents are former students of mine. It’s a great fit.

"To be honest, I feel like it is where the Lord is calling me to come. A vacancy came up and my contract was complete in Clay County as superintendent."

Couch graduated from Cumberland College in 1991 and began his teaching career at Williamsburg where he taught high school English and history for seven years. He then left the school in 1999 to become principal at Boston Elementary School.

Couch returned to Williamsburg in July 2000 to serve as high school principal and stayed until the following July when he left to take a job as assistant principal at Corbin High School.

After a year there, he went on to become principal at Corbin’s Central Primary School for six years.

Couch then left to work for the Kentucky Department of Education as a "highly skilled educator" for a couple of years.

In that position, Couch would go into under performing schools to help them improve. Educators can only serve in that position for two years.

Couch then got a call from his old high school computer teacher, who was the Clay County Superintendent, asking him to serve as assistant superintendent there, which he did for three years.

After that he served two years as superintendent of the district.

In all, Couch has worked 23 years in education and said he plans to finish his education career at Williamsburg.

Couch noted that he and is wife will soon be empty nesters and there is nothing that would be more rewarding to him than to finish his career where he started.

"Williamsburg is still Williamsburg. The community still expects their school to be an excellent school so the standards are very, very high, which I love. I feel like we can build a school that nobody can touch," Couch said. "I believe that with all my heart."
Couch said he is aware of challenges that Williamsburg is facing with both test scores and problems with facilities, but doesn’t feel it is anything that can’t be overcome.

"We have everything it takes to build a successful school," Couch said. "There aren’t any hidden Dead Sea Scrolls to school improvement. It takes good teachers partnering with good parents to teach good kids. It really isn’t rocket science. It is making sure that you are teaching the right things. It is making sure that you are teaching them in such a way that it is very engaging for kids. Then make sure we assess in such a way that we know where your kids are and know how to meet their needs when they are not meeting those standards. It boils down to that."

Couch said that every school has financial challenges and the task is taking the resources you have and allocating properly.

"You can clean a school for not a lot of money. It is making sure people know what is expected of them and then hold them accountable and provide them the support and tools to do the job the right way," Couch said.

The end goal is to make sure that every child, who graduates from the school, has the skills needed for whatever career path they choose, he added.

Small applicant pool

Byrd said that despite posting the position for well over 30 days, there were only three applicants for the principal’s position, including Couch, and none from inside the school.

Byrd noted that even if there had been several candidates, Couch still would have been a strong candidate.

Byrd said that Couch brings a lot to the table with his experience as both a high school and elementary school principal, a superintendent and a highly skilled educator.

"He’s familiar with the school. He knows the set-up as a one-unit school. I think that is really important," Byrd said.

Although Byrd is the person, who officially hired Couch, he said there was an interview committee who also spoke with the candidates and Couch was the unanimous choice.