John Brumley: You can call him Mr. T-Wolf

Since the doors of Lake City High School opened 16 years ago, the principal's office has belonged to one person: John Brumley.

Inside it, there are plaques representing awards and certificates for degrees and of course, splashes of teal and silver, the T-Wolf colors. There are pictures of John and his wife of 38 years, Diane. There are pictures of their three children, Jennifer, a 1991 Coeur d'Alene High grad, Stephen, a '95 LCHS grad, and Brandi, a 2000 LCHS grad.

This office is John Brumley's home away from home. It is the place he goes when he reports to work about 6:45 each morning and starts his day to guide this high school of about 1,500 students and 70 teachers.

This year, though, is different. It is his last.

After nearly four decades in education, the 57-year-old John Brumley is retiring.

"It's hard to believe how quickly time has flown by," he said. "You spend 36 years gaining a certain level of expertise, knowledge, maturity and wisdom with this work, and now it's coming to a close. You're not going to be in the same place, doing the same things, having the same impact you did before. And I don't know if I've had a chance to absorb that yet."

John Brumley is the oldest of three sons born to John and Bonnie Brumley. He grew up in White Bird where his father was a mill worker. At Salmon River High School in Riggins, he played football, basketball and baseball, and pitched his team to a 6-3 win over Notus in the state championship game in 1970 in Payette at Harmon Killebrew Field.

"We were pretty competitive," he said with a smile.

He earned his bachelor's and master's and Ed. Specialist degrees at the University of Idaho, and his teaching career began in 1974 at School District 13 in Council, where he taught history, science and physical education, coached football, basketball and baseball, and served as athletic director.

Following a stint in Emmett, he arrived in Coeur d'Alene in 1979. Here, he has served as vice principal, at Lakes Junior High, assistant principal at CHS, principal at Lakes Junior High and then Lakes Middle School, principal at CHS for four years and finally, including a year as planning principal at LCHS, Brumley has 17 years there.

This school is special to Brumley. He was there when the shovels broke ground to build it. He helped select the name, the mascot, the colors, the signs on the walls.

"We were involved in all of the things that made it what it is today," he said.

All told, Brumley will have watched 20 graduating classes pass through the high school doors in Coeur d'Alene, which is probably about 6,500 seniors. There are about 130 nights or so each school year he's at some event for the school, a concert, a play, a game, parent-teacher night, a fundraiser, a planning meeting.

In all those days and nights, he has been a leader, a supporter, an encourager. He has done his best to create the best learning environment for students.

"I want to be at their events, I want to watch them, I want to be part of the fabric at the school, I want to see them in the hallways the next day and encourage them and talk to them about what I saw at all levels," he said. "If you love this work and want to do it you've got to be there with them, experience it with them and be a part of it. That's what I've always tried to do."

It is what he plans to do right up to the day he closes his office door for the final time.

"The last day, if I walk out of here feeling like when I walked in, with energy and enthusiasm and to complete all the work at hand, that's the way I want to finish it."

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What are your thoughts on retiring?

I've had a wonderful career. I can't begin to express what a privilege it's been to be part of the Coeur d'Alene School District and to work most of my career, 31 years of it, here in Coeur d'Alene. It's been a great place to raise our family.

I really have enjoyed the high school principalship. I get up every morning with a positive attitude about our kids, our school and this community. But there comes a time when you have to say, 'It's time for me to pass the baton to someone else.'

I've had a couple offers for some part-time work already within the field of education. All of our children live locally and we have three grandchildren, so I'll have more opportunity to be with them.

We have a cabin on Priest Lake that we co-own with our daughter and her husband, so I'll spend more time fishing and doing some outdoor recreation and playing a little more.

Have you gotten to know a lot of kids over the years?

That's the amazing thing about my job. I can't go anywhere in North Idaho or here in Coeur d'Alene, without running into students that have graduated or their families. It's a real joy to be a part of their lives, see them in their formative years and watch them develop into adults. They really are the future, in every way you can imagine.

What's the key to doing this job well?

You have to really have a passion for this job. I don't think anyone would ever want to do this work who didn't love education and enjoy being with students and staff. You want to make sure that every day you put your best effort into this work. It's the most enjoyable and incredible job in the world.

As principal, what role have you tried to play for students and staff?

My role is to lead, to encourage, to be enthusiastic and to have high expectations. I really want our parents and our students to know this is a place where academics is No. 1, and around that we're going to provide an array of activities and programs that will enrich the high school experience. It's always a team effort. It's not about any one individual.

I've worked with some incredibly talented people in my career, from the superintendency down to the building level. I've had the chance to work with some of the greatest teachers imaginable, the Mike Clabbys of the world, these people who are just extraordinary at what they do.

What do you expect from the students?

We have very clear expectations about the way they're going to behave on this campus. We hold students accountable, provide clear options for improvement and work with parents to assure accountability. LCHS is a safe and orderly environment. But let's not forget that most everyone looks back at their high school as being one of the most enjoyable periods in their life. You're on teams, in plays, drama, debate, music and you make lifelong friends. You look back at those times with the fondest of memories. It's such a rich, rich part of their lives.

You've spent 36 years in education. How have students changed?

I get asked that question frequently. I've seen lots of trends come and go. Today's trend is piercings and tattoos and different clothing styles. Ten years ago, it was a different clothing style and a different genre of music, and the 10 years before that, it was a different clothing style and a different genre of music. But kids are kids.

I don't care how long your hair is, what kind of tattoos you have or what kind of earrings you wear. Human relations boil down to the same thing. If you show you care and you're polite and courteous and you want the best for them, they're going to respond the way kids of every generation have. They're going to do what you ask. They will accept the challenge. Oftentimes, we underestimate them.

I couldn't be more proud of this generation of students. They're hard working, punctual, courteous and will be excellent citizens.

How has the job of being principal changed?

At one time the expectation was to simply manage a facility and faculty. Today you have to manage, but more importantly you have to be an instructional leader. You have to understand the art of teaching and its effect on student achievement.

Additionally the federal government and the state department of education, with the backing of the state legislature, has mandated an entirely different set of accountabilities. They include the No Child Left Behind legislation and annual yearly progress (AYP). We also have the Idaho State Achievement Tests (ISATS) that are required for graduation.

Today's administrator is expected to understand aligned curriculums, end of course exams (EOCA), and a host of other regulations including special education, 504 requirements, and remedial programs.

There's a tremendous amount of community pressure and expectation that we're going to be successful on all fronts, but that particularly the kids who walk into this high school are going to exit with the kind of skills and capabilities to be successful in life.

Today's principal is a PR person. They must be able to manage a press or television event on short notice.

Twenty-one years ago when my daughter was a sophomore at Coeur d'Alene High School, I didn't walk into the building on a daily basis and worry about safety. Columbine and similar events changed that landscape forever.

What mark will you leave on LCHS?

I would hope my legacy would be one of dedication, a love for public education, and great passion for the students and staff at Lake City High School.

Those who know me know I'm very outspoken about what I believe is best for our kids. Students are always the No. 1 priority for me, and then my faculty and our parents. I have a great deal of pride and sense of ownership in what we do and how we do it.

I've also been instrumental in developing the middle school concept, opening LCHS, developing the block schedule and implementing the International Bacculaureate program. Each of these has been a milestone in my career.

What's your mission in these final months at LCHS?

I want to come in every day the same way I have for 36 years, and that's working hard and being enthusiastic about what I do. I don't want anybody to say I was a lameduck.

I'm going to be immersed in a lot of work to make sure our students have the same opportunities next year that they had this year, including the same programs, activities, and school environment in the face of this economic downturn.

Would you do anything differently if you could?

I'd do it over again in a heartbeat. I wouldn't change a thing in my career. I've had a phenomenal experience.

Date of birth: Oct. 5, 1952

Family: Wife, Diane, three children

Education: Bachelor of science in education, University of Idaho, master's in education, UI, Ed. Specialist UI

Number of hours on average you work in a week: 60-65

Number of hours on average you sleep in a night: 5 to 5 1/2

Hobbies: Hunting, fishing, boating, four-wheeling

Favorite movie: "Lawrence of Arabia"

Favorite author: John Grisham

Favorite spectator sports: Football and baseball

Favorite type of music: Country

Best advice you ever received: From my father, it's a simple credo: Love your God, honor your country and keep your word. He must have said it to me a million times growing up, and I've lived by them.

One person who most influenced your life: My wife. We started together as sophomores in high school. Dec. 6, 1967, I asked her to go steady with me. She's my best friend, my closest confidant, my biggest supporter.

Quality you admire most in a person: Integrity

Any one thing you consider your greatest accomplishment: A 38-year marriage and three great kids.