At one time or another, we have all probably heard idioms and expressions that include the number 3 – “Three’s a crowd,” “Bad luck comes in threes,” “Three strikes and you’re out.” For NCAE member Dr. Michael Putney, the number three has special significance -- it’s the number of times he has been named Principal of the Year, in the same county.
Principal of Dabney Elementary School in Vance County, Dr. Putney has been nominated numerous times and was named the county’s Principal of the Year in 1995, 1999 and most recently for 2023. So, when his name was called during the Educators of Excellence Recognition Banquet, he was caught completely off guard. “I wasn’t even thinking about winning because there were so many other strong contenders. I was in complete shock; I was not expecting to be named.”
This is Dr. Putney’s 44th year as a public school educator. He began his career as an art teacher in 1979 in his home county of Northampton. He taught for 10 years, was an assistant principal for three years, and has served as principal of Dabney Elementary for 31 years. A product of public schools, Dr. Putney earned a Bachelor of Art Education degree from North Carolina Central University, a Master of Art degree in education administration and supervision from East Carolina University, and a Doctor of Education degree from NC State University. He has been a member of NCAE all 44 years and has served as a building rep, as a local affiliate president (three terms) and treasurer, and was vice president and president of the NCAE Principals/Administrators Division.
It was Mrs. Johnson, his fourth-grade teacher, he said who influenced his decision to become an educator. “Each year she followed me and was moved up when the class moved up. She was still teaching at the school when I returned home to teach. I cherish and still look forward to seeing her whenever I can. She was like a second mother to me and always encouraged me to excel.”
Dr. Putney is honored that he gets to make a difference in the lives of young people every day. He has many stories, but the ones that stand out most are when students who were troublemakers and discipline problems turn themselves around and become productive citizens of society, thanking him for helping and believing in them.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of my job as an educator is seeing the growth and development of students. From the time they start kindergarten until they graduate, I love seeing them evolve, progress and celebrating their successes. I have been fortunate to have former students enroll their children in my school as well as the pleasure of hiring former students as teachers.”
Like most educators, Dr. Putney sees public education as the great equalizer, but he is dismayed by bad legislation that has been recently passed by lawmakers and how educators and the profession continues to be disrespected.
“When I first started teaching, the profession was well respected and admired. People in the community held educators in high regard. But as time passed, elected officials began to rob public education of the amenities afforded educators – longevity, pay for advanced degrees, etc. School performance grades and test scores have been used to discredit the work we do and have become ways to dismantle the profession. The expansion of vouchers is a problem with even more public taxpayer money being siphoned from our schools and teacher salaries are not being commensurate with other professions, causing a decline in the number of young people choosing teaching as a career. It seems like the more we advocate for public education the more lawmakers fight to minimize the work we do. While I believe education is the key to a successful life and levels the playing field, being able to find and retain teachers has become a great challenge. We must do everything we can to provide all students with a quality education and that means having highly qualified teachers in every classroom. If our state’s public education system is to survive in the future, parents, legislators, businesses and communities are going to have to make investments to ensure our children can become successful, self-sufficient and productive citizens.”
