Principal wasn't in the plans

Chad Dodd thought he’d become an athletic trainer, not a teacher.
And even after he discovered the classroom was his calling, working as an administrator wasn’t in the plans.
But plans change.
After six years as assistant principal and dean of students, Dodd is replacing Phil Ford this year as principal at Jay County High School.
“I don’t know when I entered education that I ever said, ‘I want to be principal or I want to be an administrator,’” he said. “It was just kind of the progression of things.”
As a student at Indiana Wesleyan University, Dodd was planning to be an athletic trainer. As he went through classes, it didn’t seem like that profession was what he was meant to do, he said.
A friend, who was a teacher, encouraged Dodd to spend some time in his classroom. He always enjoyed being around children — he helped his dad run youth sports leagues and played baseball at Indiana Wesleyan, where he was involved in a variety of clinics for children — so he decided to give it a try.
“After about two days in that classroom … I knew that’s what I was called to do,” he said.
So he changed his major during his sophomore year and “just never looked back.”
“It was where I was supposed to be,” he said.

The new principal started his career teaching sixth grade geography at Hartford City Middle School. After approximately five years of teaching, Dodd’s principal encouraged him to go back to school for a master’s degree in educational leadership.
At first, Dodd said he was happy teaching and didn’t need to go back to school. Then the principal took some time off and left the Hartford City resident in charge.
“So I got a little taste of that, and I enjoyed it,” he said.
Shortly after that, he enrolled to get his master’s degree at Ball State University. Then he applied for a few administrator jobs — including one at East Jay Middle School — but wasn’t chosen for the positions.
“I was coaching high school baseball … I was OK where I was. I enjoyed teaching, I enjoyed coaching and then Steve Boozier (Jay County High School assistant principal and athletics director) called,” said Dodd.
Boozier was at Wes-Del High School at the time and told Dodd that Jay County was looking for an assistant principal. Dodd said the job at JCHS was a great opportunity, and accepted it in 2007.
“I’ve been blessed to work with great people in both places, but the community support for Jay County has just been amazing,” he said. “I feel like the community supports what we’re trying to do … It’s just a great place to be and a great place to work.”
He’s excited for what the future holds for him and Jay County High School. The school improves every year, he said, and he plans to continue that tradition by working to improve test scores.
He’d also like to continue to develop dual-credit courses and pathways for vocational classes, which the school corporation began considering last year.
He said he’ll work with faculty to help freshmen and sophomores get on a path to success early by helping them work toward certification or earning college credits to be successful adults. He’s looking forward to the school year beginning next week and working with faculty and the community to continue to improve JCHS and its students and staff.
“I’m always looking to better myself, I’m always looking to improve the organization I work within,” Dodd said. “I’ve been very fortunate to work with good people and be around good people who have given me opportunities. I think that’s what this is.”