Springfield assistant principal wins state honor

Riverside Middle School administrator Steve Cone is often asked why, after nearly two decades, he continues to work with madly metamorphosing preteens.
http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140424/NEWS02/704249917

Published April 24, 2014 in the Rutland Herald Springfield assistant principal wins state honor By Kevin O’Connor Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — Riverside Middle School administrator Steve Cone is often asked why, after nearly two decades, he continues to work with madly metamorphosing preteens. “I find them to be interesting and fun,” he said, “and you can still help them navigate the world.” That, Cone said, is reward enough. Nonetheless, he says, he’s honored by his recent naming as Vermont’s Assistant Principal of the Year. The 50-year-old didn’t expect to reap such tenure or titles when he joined the school as a guidance counselor in 1994. But advancing to the posts of dean of students and then assistant principal, he has found reason to stay focused. “From the day I walked in the building, I was amazed how cohesive and welcoming everyone is,” he said. “That’s the main reason I do this job. It just felt right from the get-go.” Cone faces a few challenges. He must commute an hour daily from his home in Randolph, where he lives with his wife and daughter. Once at school, he must tame the overflowing energy of adolescence and omnipresent social media messages that can divert and hurt students. “Then there’s the number of expectations that land on public schools,” he said. “We take everybody no matter what. That is quite a mission. Considering the fact budgets are getting tighter and tighter, I think we do an incredible job.” The Vermont Principals’ Association will recognize Cone during a congratulatory lunch Wednesday in Montpelier, an awards banquet Aug. 5 at Killington’s Grand Resort Hotel and a trip to meet the nation’s 49 other top assistant principals next year in Washington, D.C. “Steve is our rock,” Riverside Principal Becky Read said. “We could not do the work we do without his support and guidance.” “I think the best compliment I can give Steve is that I see him as a mentor,” said School Superintendent Zach McLaughlin, once an assistant principal himself. “Even now, as I serve as his supervisor, I still rely greatly upon his advice and steadiness.” Cone called the award “an honor” (“I was absolutely shocked and surprised”) and said only one thing could top it: Being named general manager of the Boston Celtics. “That would be my dream job, but I love this one — that’s why I keep doing it,” he said. “Students are our most important natural resources — they’re worth every penny we invest in them.”