|
John B. Gordon III of Richmond is the new principal |
John B. Gordon III is the new principal at James Monroe High School, and the city school's first African-American leader.
A basketball shooting guard who set a game record for 3-pointers (six) as a senior at Richmond's Hermitage High, Gordon coached high school teams to numerous titles over 13 years. He taught history and social studies before "crossing the desk" in 2005 to become an administrator.
Born in Richmond, Gordon will be 36 on Aug. 23. He lives in Henrico County with his wife, Shavonne, also a Richmond native, whom he met while both were first-year students at the University of Virginia. They have three children: Marcus, who is studying forensic chemistry at Longwood University in Farmville; Kennedy ("We call her 'Ken'"), 5; and Simone, 6 months.
"I had always wanted to coach basketball," Gordon said, "but my mother [Marian, an elementary school principal] told me early on, 'If you want to coach, you have to be a teacher.'"
His father had been the third African-American to attend U.Va., and Gordon followed him to Charlottesville. He majored in psychology and graduated in 1995.
Gordon earned a master's in education from U.Va. in 2000 and a post-master's in education administration and supervision from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2007. He is working on a doctorate in educational leadership and policy at Virginia Tech.
Shavonne graduated from U.Va. as a systems engineer and got a job in Delaware with DuPont chemical. Gordon followed and became a substitute teacher at Mardela Middle/High School in nearby Wicomico County, Md.
"That's where I learned how to be a coach," he said. As an assistant coach, his boss and mentor was Russell Springman, now associate head coach at the University of Texas.
Gordon became assistant coach at Parkside High in East Salisbury, Md., "where I also got my first real teaching job, in social studies." He also got a better basketball team. "We won twice as many games as I had at Mardela," he said.
One celebration at the end of that successful season was his marriage to Shavonne, in May 1997 at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Richmond, where his late grandfather was pastor.
They decided to make Richmond home. Gordon went to work at Armstrong High School, his parents' alma mater. He taught world history and geography and coached JV basketball his first year, then moved up to varsity coach. In the 2001-02 season, his team won the AAA/Capital District title and he was named the district's coach of the year.
Gordon left Armstrong for a job at Meadowbrook High. Meadowbrook was an opportunity "to become East Coast-known" in basketball, he said. He won two consecutive AAA/Central District titles and was named coach of the year in 2004-05, and his 2005-06 district champions went on to win the regional title.
"I built those kids from scratch," Gordon said. "All the starting five won college scholarships."
Gordon also had created a history curriculum that ranged from slavery in 1300 to African-American roles in the present. The course is still taught at Meadowbrook.
In 2005, Gordon became the dean of students. He was put in charge of the master schedule, which matched 2,000 students with teachers and classes.
"It is the most difficult administrative task there is," Gordon recalled.
He became assistant principal in 2007-08, and continued to coach. The Virginia High School League says an administrator can coach, but can't be paid for it. He stayed on pro bono and took his team to within one point of winning the first round of the district championship. He had racked up the highest percentage of wins for a coach in the school's history, 67 percent--103 wins, 51 losses. But that was the end of his coaching career.
"It is a tradition for seniors to wear tuxedos to the last game of the season," Gordon said. "I wore one at our last game. It told everybody that I was coaching my final regular game. We won by 25 points."
For the 2008-09 year he transferred to Monacan High in Chesterfield County, as assistant principal in charge of the ninth grade. He also worked with the English and foreign-languages departments and oversaw the library, as well as the building.
"My schools have to look good," he said.
In May he received a phone call from a colleague.
"He said, 'You have to go look at James Monroe High in Fredericksburg.'" The job of principal was vacant.
"I drove up on graduation day," Gordon said. "I fell in love with the place."
When Superintendent David G. Melton offered him the job, Gordon said he'd have to discuss it with his wife.
"I called her on my cell. She said, 'I'm so proud of you.'
"I called Dr. Melton and said yes."
The School Board unanimously approved the appointment Aug. 3.
Hugh Muir: 540/735-1975
Email: hmuir@freelancestar.com
