Four Retiring From Macon School System

 

Four people are leaving the Macon County School System at the end of this school term.

Charles Biles and Patricia Ferguson are retiring from the Superintendent’s Office and Bobby Bransford and Linda Smith are retiring from their principal positions.

“We’ve got two people from the Superintendent’s office that will be retiring this year,” said Director of Schools Margaret Oldham. “They are Mr. Charles Biles and he has 49 years of experience and the other is Mrs. Patricia Ferguson, who will be leaving the Macon County School System as the Technology Coordinator. She has been here for 38 years.”

Oldham says these positions will be advertised after everything is finalized on Thursday, May 9. “We will start advertising that following Monday, May 13, for these positions.” “Also leaving the school system and retiring are Mr. Bobby Bransford and Mrs. Linda Smith,” continued Oldham. “Mr. Bransford has been in the school system for 40 years and he is leaving his position as principal at Macon County Junior High School. Mrs. Smith has been in the school system for 16 years and she is leaving her position as principal at Fairlane Elementary.”

These positions will also be advertised and interviewed for. The administration is hoping to have someone in place by the first couple of weeks in June so they can train under these people and find out exactly what their jobs entail.

“These four people will be very much missed because they have been sort of like legends in Macon County with their teaching experience as teachers, principals, and coaches,” said Director Oldham. “And it is my understanding that Mrs. Smith even played basketball for Red Boiling Springs High School.”

Director Oldham said that it’s really hard to lose good administrators like these because they have done so much for the county. “Mr. Biles in his position, has been attendance coordinator, he’s our truancy officer for the school system, and he does a lot of extra things like keeping up with sick leave for certified employees, vacation for certified employees, and a lot of other little things that he has does that a lot of people really don’t know about.” She said that Patricia has done a tremendous job with technology in the Macon County School System. “I would put Macon County at the top as far as having the best technology of any of the surrounding counties,” the director said.

“Of course, Mr. Bransford has had a great school at Macon County Junior High and Mrs. Smith has been extraordinary at Fairlane, with the younger students.” “I came into this school system in November of 2010 and I lived in Trousdale County, but this whole community and this school system have been so nice and easy to work with,” said Oldham. “Mr. Biles was sort of my helper when I came into this job as Director of Schools and I was able to talk with him and confide in him, he would give me advise and we have worked so well together. Patricia has always helped with anything I have asked her to do for me and she always been cooperative and very friendly and nice.”

“As principals I have had the pleasure of working with Mr. Bransford and we have worked very well together. He is a hard worker and wanted his school to be the best. Mrs. Smith has a great school at Fairlane with the little ones and she has a great faculty. She is a true leader, who is good with her faculty as well as the children.”
Oldham says the one thing that impressed her more than anything about Mrs. Smith, was one day when school was starting, she was over there early in the morning at 7:00 a.m. “This little boy started crying and got upset and Mrs. Smith just took him and put him in her lap and held him until he calmed down,” said Mrs. Oldham. “She told him if he needed anything to let her know and that was very compassionate to me.”

“I hate for all these people to leave, and I think everybody in the school system will agree with me that they are going to be very hard to replace. Whoever gets these jobs, they have got very big footsteps to walk in,” the director said in closing.

Charles Biles began teaching and coaching girls basketball at RBSHS in 1964 and he coached for 12 years. He was also principal of RBS School K-12 for 17 years. He moved to the Central Office in Lafayette the next 20 years of his career as Supervisor of Attendance for the Macon County School System and he was a member of the RBS Hall of Fame in 1996. He has 49 years of service to the Macon County School System. “It has been an honor and a privilege to have played a small part in the education of students in Macon County these past years,” said Mr. Biles.

Patricia Ferguson has spent 38 years in the Macon County School System and from January 1975 to January 1995 she was a teacher at Red Boiling Springs High School. From January of 1995 to the present she has been in the Superintendent’s Office as Technology Director for Macon County Schools. She achieved many technology milestones during her 18½ years as the director. “Throughout my tenure as Technology Director for Macon County Schools, it has been my goal to make sure that all schools in Macon County and all teachers and students in Macon County have access to the best available technology and to ensure that our technology infrastructure is strong enough to implement that technology,” Ferguson said. “Today, I am proud to say that technology has been recognized as being one of the top strengths of all schools in Macon County and technology in Macon County Schools is above other schools or our size and demographics. Thinking back, I have been fortunate to have been both a technology teacher and a technology   supervisor. It has been an exciting time for technology in the schools and I am proud to have been able to play the lead role in implementing all facets of technology for Macon County schools.”

After Bobby Bransford graduated from MTSU in 1973, he began his career in education that has spanned 40 years. “Most of these years have been spent in the classroom as a Science teacher,” said Mr. Bransford. “I have had several other titles throughout the years some of which include husband, father, coach and principal. I also serve as an Elder at the Lafayette Church of Christ. I have always had a love for showing Tennessee Walking horses and spending time with my family consisting of my wife, Regina, two children, Cory and Ashley, and three grandchildren, Jonah, Carter and Lexi.”

Linda Smith’s first job was at Red Boiling Springs Elementary School teaching 3rd grade. She taught 3rd grade for two years and was then moved to the 6th grade. When the principal’s position at Fairlane became available, she applied and was hired in July, two weeks before school started. She has been at Fairlane for the past 11 years.
“Through my educational career I have worked with a lot of wonderful people and have made many, many friends,” Linda said. “I believe working with children is one of the most fulfilling jobs a person can have. I have always said the best part of my day is when I greet students coming in the door each morning. I will truly miss this.” Linda would like to thank everyone who has helped her throughout her career and she thanks the parents for supporting her at Fairlane. “Fairlane is a wonderful school and what makes it wonderful are the hard working, dedicated teachers who put their heart and soul into teaching the children of Macon County every day. I also want to thank Mrs. Oldham and all of the supervisors at the central office who have always given me your support through the years. I will truly miss all of the people I work with daily, but look forward to retirement and a less stressful future.”