Jeff Russell becomes principal, hopes to introduce goals

With a new year underway, the school welcomes Jeff Russell as our new principal. Thanks to a friend, he decided to take the opportunity.

“I was offered the job by the superintendent, but the board still had to approve me. I found out I got the job after kids were out for school last year,” Russell said.

“I had a friend who worked in Decatur and they told me what an awesome school Decatur was,” Russell said. “They encouraged me to apply.”

A big reason Russell decided to become the principal was that he believed it provided purpose for him.

“One of the most influential people in my life was a high school principal,” he said. “She impacted students, teachers and parents in a big way.”

Before taking the role as principal in Decatur, Russell previously served at Birdville High School.

“I was an assistant principal at Birdville High School,” Russell said, “I was then a principal at Smithfield Middle School and Haltom Middle School.”

Never before working in Decatur, Russell still has much to learn of old traditions.

“I learned about the Old Settlers Reunion and other traditions here in Decatur,” he said.

He also hopes to interact and have good communication between students, faculty and parents.

“When I worked at Birdville High School there were twice as many staff and students,” Russell said. “I really like the fact that DHS is small enough that you can see people several times each day and get to know them.”

Russell appreciates the students who take the time to say hello and introduce themselves to him.

“It shows a lot of character and initiative,” Russell said. “Some kids just aren’t like that.”

College and Career Readiness Counselor, Rene Fuller, knows that Russell focuses on students.

“He’s real big on focusing on the positive,” Fuller said. “It’s important for him to report big news, like students being successful.”

However, he never considered becoming a principal of a school when Russell joined the Marines while attending junior college.

“I had in mind when I went into the marines that I might want to be a pilot,” he said. “I worked on planes and was an F-14 and F-15 radar technician.”

Eventually, he got into the career as principal and the Marines helped him pay for his education.

“After the Marines, I started out at Texas Tech for a year and a half, where I met my wife. “I went to junior college for a year and attended Texas Woman’s for my masters,” Russell said. “After that, we both transferred to UTA and that’s where I finished,” he said.

He also knows that juggling school with work and sports causes stress on students. He looks at this as an advantage because he knows what students deal with.

“Just like the students, I also go to school,” Russell said. “Some of the things that you’re going through, I’m going through with you,” he said.

Assistant Principal, Sheila McCollum believes Russell will work great at his new establishment.

“I think he will continue the greatness of DHS,” McCollum said.

Right now, he is working towards his doctorate at Dallas Baptist University.

“It’s called Educational Leadership Degree,” Russell said. “I believe it’ll help me become a better principal and it’s something I can offer to kids and teachers.”

Russell lives by ethics that he brings to work.

“I treat people as they would want to be treated,” he said. “I always try to bring new ideas to the workplace.”

With the new school year ahead of us, Russell hopes for new beginnings and gives advice to the students that roam these halls from class to class. It’s this simple:

“Never give up,” he said.

Russell hopes to help students as much as he can throughout the year.

“If you don’t know what the target is, you can’t hit,” he said. “We’re here to cheer you on.”