RHS grad new principal at Fayette County

Editor’s Note: Where are they now? is a regular feature that will catch up with Franklin County natives who may be pursuing opportunites outside of the area.

What would the world do without teachers?

Teachers are the ones who taught the congressmen how to read in the first grade. They’re the ones who taught the writers how to spell. They’re the ones who taught the mathematicians how to add and subtract. They’re the ones who had a significant impact on almost every person’s life for 12 or more years.

Teachers play a special role, and Russellville graduate Jeremy Madden recognized what an important role it was when he was still in high school.

Madden, a 1993 Russellville grad, was recently named principal of Fayette County High School after 13 years as an educator, a profession he choose mainly because he wanted to have the kind of impact on students that many of his teachers had on him through the years.

“I can remember my senior year thinking about becoming a teacher,” Madden said. “Although I know I did not appreciate their hard work at the time I was in school, if I had to say what made me choose this career path it would be the great teachers I had at Russellville City Schools.

“I hate to start naming names because you always leave people out, but from kindergarten to twelfth grade I can remember great influences like Mrs. Lawrence, Mrs. Todd, Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Britnell, Coach Boutwell, Mrs. Phillips, Coach Harkness, Coach Pace, Coach Ikerd, Mrs. Evans, Mr. Foster, and I could go on and on.”

After Madden graduated from RHS, he set out for college with a career in education on his mind. He attended Northwest-Shoals Community College and transferred to the University of North Alabama where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Since that time he has received his Master’s degree in Administration and is currently in the process of completing his Doctorate degree in Administration from the University of Alabama.

Years and years of higher education is a big commitment to make but it was something Madden was willing to do because he believes in the profession he has chosen.

“Being a teacher is so important because, positively or negatively, you will influence students for a lifetime,” Madden said. “I often have students in my office who have made some mistakes in our school that I will have to punish. I try to make sure they understand that their punishment is not a life sentence. Once it is over, I try to forget what they did and give them a clean slate to start back on in our school.

“I think it is important not to hold something against a student for their entire educational career because it can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure for them.”

Before he entered the realm of administration, Madden taught in elementary classrooms at Belgreen High School, Haleyville Elementary School and Fayette County Elementary School, which is where he was prompted to assistant principal and then eventually the principal at FCHS.

Madden said there are many differences between being a classroom teacher and an administrator, but he has enjoyed the challenges of both jobs.

Being a principal is a lot different because you go from your classroom of twenty-four or twenty-five problems to about a thousand problems,” Madden said. “You have to be able to deal with so many different situations. The best example I could give you is it’s similar to playing the old Atari game “Asteroids,” where you try to destroy the oncoming asteroids before they hit you.

But even considering all of the problems, the biggest pro of being the principal at Fayette County High School is I get to work with our students to get them prepared for college or the work force. The community here is very supportive and they know I am working hard for them every day.”

Madden has melded into the community where he now lives and works, but he hasn’t forgotten his Russellville roots.

“You might also see me sneaking into town regularly to visit The Cutter, Murray’s Tire and Alignment and Dr. Sherrill,” Madden said. “People in Fayette often make fun of me for driving over a hundred miles for these services but I take their jokes in stride and smile because Russellville will always be a special place to me.”

Madden said even though he comes to visit, he regularly keeps up with what’s going on in Russellville through his sister, Stephanie Mayfield, who teachers at Russellville Elementary; his brother Jeff Madden, who teachers at Russellville Middle School; his brother Shea Madden, who serves as the director of the Franklin County Community Corrections program; and his mother, Linda Madden.

“Without the support of my family and the influence of my dad, Billy Madden, throughout my life, I would not be where I am today,” Madden said.