Carol Goss takes a break from cleaning her desk and office at Tyner Academy.No alarm clock will wake Carol Goss on July 1. It’ll be her first day of retirement after 10 years as principal of Tyner Academy.
“It’s surreal,” Goss said from her office one sunny Friday morning. “This is really the last time – the last honors banquet, the last prom and the last graduation.”
Goss, who grew up in Chattanooga and attended East Ridge High School, has been with the Hamilton County Department of Education for 30 years. She started at East Ridge Middle and High schools as a teacher, was a principal at Ooltewah Middle School, returned to East Ridge Middle School as principal and eventually moved to Tyner Academy 14 years ago.
“I came in 1999, in Tyner’s first year as a magnet school, and I was an assistant principal,” she said. “But it was a much smaller school then. Since, we’ve almost doubled in size.”
In addition to growing as a school and implementing the magnet structure with separate curricular academies, Goss said the evolution of technology has hallmarked her tenure.
“It’s huge, the impact technology has had on this school. We’re a 1-to-1 iPad school, and it’s just brought the need of technology to the forefront,” she said. “We’ve really been able to develop that, and it’s significant for our school.”
After retirement sets in, Goss will spend more time with family and potentially go back to working in schools again. She said she’s always liked working with high school age kids, and she can’t sit still for long.
“They want to be challenged, truly. There are problems and joys, but for all the difficulties, it’s worth it to know you’ve made a difference,” she said. “Their future is upon them, realizing that all of a sudden, it’s life.”
From the exciting first day of school, to the advent of football season and through the school year, Goss said she wouldn’t trade her time at Tyner or do it differently if given the chance.
“This is probably the best job I’ve ever had. Every moment is special to me, it’s too numerous to count,” she laughed. “The kids, the parents, the staff … it has just been wonderful. I have been blessed.”
As for advice for the person who replaces her in the next school year, Goss offers only a few wise words.
“I’d tell them to trust my staff, because they have accomplished so much,” she said. “And to remember, no matter what decision, we make it for the kids. Not for the adults. We do what is best for the kids.”