Interim head of high school says focus is on students

FALLS VILLAGE — Herbert Tedford III is hard to miss. He’s a big man with a big personality and he’s taken on a big job as interim principal of Housatonic Valley Regional High School.

The August resignations of Principal Gretchen Foster and Assistant Principal Mary Ann Buchanan sparked considerable controversy — and a slew of special meetings of the Region One Board of Education.

The school year got off to an uneventful start, with teacher and former athletic director David Bayersdorfer returning from retirement to fill in as interim assistant principal.

An attorney hired by the board to look into the circumstances of the resignations, Jeffrey C. Pingpank, has been conducting interviews during the last few weeks. Inevitably, rumors are circulating and there is speculation as to what the fallout of Pingpank’s review will be.

Into this unsettled situation comes Tedford, who looks like the football player he was — both college and minor league professional.

Asked if he was briefed on the current state of affairs, he said no and evinced no interest in finding out.

“I can’t change the past. I’m here to bring us forward into the future,� he said bluntly.

What happened prior to his arrival “doesn’t involve me, so I’m not going to waste my time and energy on that when the number one concern is the students and the operation of this school.�

During the application and interview process Tedford did some research on Housatonic and said he was impressed, especially by the wide range of courses and programs.

He said he really took notice of the agricultural education program.  “The greenhouse, the tilapia raising, the animals — I hadn’t seen that before.â€� Tilapia are farm-raised fish.

Tedford was associate principal at a high school in Hudson, N.Y.

His primary focus there was discipline. “I was busy,� he said.

So it was pleasant to get what he described as a “warm welcomeâ€� when he visited  Housatonic.

He said the students at the school are “focused, well-mannered and respectful.�

And he praised the faculty. “I’m impressed by the faculty’s expressed willingness to go above and beyond.�

He said he has taken a quick look at the paperwork from the 2007 New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) report on the school. The regional accreditation agency put Housatonic on warning in October 2007;  in February 2010,  NEASC accepted a progress report from Housatonic and continued the school’s accreditation.

“I haven’t  found a district yet that does everything perfectly,â€� said Tedford. “There is always work to do.â€�

On dealing with his superiors in the educational bureaucracy, Tedford said that while policy decisions that come from the top and work their way down cannot be ignored, “a lot of stuff is data-driven, which leaves out the personal side of what’s going on.

“As an educator and an administrator, my job is to let the higher-ups see what impact their policies have on the students.�

Tedford played college football at the University of Southern Colorado in the early 1980s,  and minor league football after that. He was quick to draw on the experience as he described his approach to his new school:

“I see myself as a new quarterback or coach, looking to find a way to build a team.

“We’ve got to remember why we’re here — to make a difference in these kids’ lives.�

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