“It’s been a great ride” Lee Begle reflects on 41 years in education

by Lisa W. Hoppenjans Ferdinand News 

For the last seven years or so, Ferdinand Elementary Principal Lee Begle has promised himself the first time he wasn’t excited to be starting a new school year would be his last.

That day never came.

“But, ultimately, it’s time to enjoy family,” Begle says, just days before the school board accepted his letter of retirement (see related School Board article). “After 41 years, it’s time for a change.”

Back in 1968, when he was Lee Joe Begle, St. Ferdinand Crusaders basketball star, he never dreamed of a career in education.

Oh, he intended to further his education (he received a scholarship to St. Benedict College), but he never envisioned a degree in education.

The first in his family to attend college, he studied hard, played basketball and learned.

Everything changed when Larry Klein, his former coach, asked him to help coach fifth and sixth graders. Klein had been young Lee Joe’s mentor and he willingly agreed.

“I coached Jim Mehling and Paul Ruhe when they were youngsters,” Begle grins.

And, before long he had switched majors.

When St. Benedict closed in 1970, Begle entered the University of Evansville where, fortunately, he was able to play basketball and secure another scholarship.

“Superintendent Earl Buechler contacted me during my junior year and invited me to teach at Ferdinand Elementary,” Begle recalls. “Larry and Woody — I owe them a lot. Who knows what I’d be doing now if it wasn’t for them.”

When he graduated from U of E in 1972, he gladly accepted the post at Ferdinand Elementary. His first assignment was a split classroom — third and fourth grades — which he kept for three years.

The next four years were spent teaching fifth and sixth grade math….

…until the day Woody Buechler approached him again, this time about working toward a principal’s license.

He talked to his wife, Ginny and some of their friends. All were encouraging, so he decided to pursue an administrator’s license. His internship was under then-Ferdinand Elementary principal Sister Mary Ann Hartledge. When she retired, he interviewed and was selected for the position.

“I was the first male principal at Ferdinand Elementary,” Begle notes with a chuckle. “Before that, they were all female and they were all sisters. For quite some time, I got mail addressed to Father Begle or Reverend Begle.”

His first year as principal was a trial by fire. Negotiations went badly, he says, and there were rumblings that a strike was imminent.

“The staff wouldn’t do it,” he muses. “Southeast is atypical. You don’t see many places where teachers come — and stay.”

Begle did his best, over the years, to empower the staff to be involved in the decisions and changes that affected them and their methods of teaching.

During the next 34 years, he worked diligently with teachers, parents and the community to make Ferdinand Elementary the best it could be and to give every child who walked through its doors the opportunity to be the best he or she could be.

“Woody taught me the value of community involvement and giving back,” Begle notes. “I’ve been fortunate to be able to work with the community on things beyond school. I just hope I can give back as much as I’ve been given.”

He encourages his staff to get involved in the community, as well. “When you can develop good relationships, it helps a lot,” Begle avers.

“I wouldn’t know where to start thanking local businesses. From big business to small, they’ve been wonderful. Anything we needed. I was never shy about asking for things, as long as it wasn’t for myself,” he adds with a chuckle.

He encourages students to pursue extracurricular activities and connect in ways other than the classroom.

“When you see kids compete, you get insight into their character,” Begle says.

Begle has always been competitive, he admits, but his former coach, Larry Klein, took it to another level. Begle has hired competitive people who strive to be the best they can be and instill that spirit in their students.

The three things over the past 34 years that bring Lee Begle the most pride are not necessarily what one would guess.

Ferdinand Elementary receiving the National Blue Ribbon designation is just the icing on the cake.

The three things of which he’s proudest are implementing pre-school, all-day kindergarten and Response to Intervention (RTI).

Pre-school and all-day kindergarten were by-products of one of the most difficult times in Begle’s career — the battle over Cedar Crest Intermediate.

“Half the parents wanted it, the other half didn’t. The majority of the staff didn’t want it,” Begle remembers. “In the end, it made room for the pre-school and all-day kindergarten programs. It turned out to be perfect timing — it put both schools [Ferdinand Elementary and Pine Ridge] on an equal footing, adopting common standards to prepare to merge at Cedar Crest.”

RTI also evolved out of that period in time.

“We don’t want to let kids fall through the cracks,” Begle insists. “We determine what level they’re at in reading and math, then measure their progress. If they’re having trouble, we need to try other things.

“We use instructional assistants. Teachers can’t do it alone. Working on different skills can be boring for the students who’ve already mastered them, but the assistants hang with it and keep working.”

Over the years, Begle considers himself fortunate to have had more triumphs than trials, but there were a few.

The most frightening was when the fifth and sixth grade teachers took their students to Forest Park to practice for a Christmas program. Platforms had been built for the children to stand on to form a “living Christmas tree.”

The platforms collapsed.

“It was sad — and scary,” Begle recalls.”Emergency personnel, ambulances… Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. There was one broken arm and somebody stepped on a nail.”

The most disheartening incident occurred during one winter when a window had inadvertently been left cracked open. Vandals broke in, sprayed soft drinks and generally trashed the school.

“Knowing they were former students was devastating. It was the lowest point in my career,” Begle recalls. “But we found the kids and made them help clean up.Their parents brought them and they helped, too. I don’t think those kids realized the damage they caused.”

But, all in all, the blessings have outweighed the troubles. After all, Begle has been at Ferdinand Elementary for 41 years….

“My kids went through school here,” Begle notes. “We wanted them in the best school. It was funny… they couldn’t understand why they couldn’t eat lunch with Daddy every day.”

Since the first computers were installed in classrooms in 1989, Ferdinand Elementary has kept up with advancing technology.

But, it all starts with reading.

“We’ve tried to encourage students to develop a love for reading,” Begle says. “Hey, in your spare time, pull out a book. You can’t be a good reader unless you practice.”

Begle initiated the Principal’s Summer Reading Challenge in the mid-90s, along with a self-selected reading program. There was already an emphasis placed on literature and novels for reading instruction. In 1996, the Accelerated Reader program was adopted school-wide. A 90-minute, uninterrupted reading block was also implemented.

At the end of this school year, Lee Begle will have spent 34 years as Ferdinand Elementary Principal.

The number “34” seems appropriate.

It was the number on his basketball jersey at St. Ferdinand High School.

And, Begle’s career has been, in part, driven by basketball.

Every day at Ferdinand Elementary is still exciting. In fact, Begle was reluctant to do an interview barely into the second semester.

“I can’t do a farewell story. I’m not done yet!” he exclaims.

That will come later.

For now, he’s updating his bucket list.

Tops on that list is hiking down the Grand Canyon and hiking back up.

He also wants to get his wife, Ginny, back on the golf course.

And spend some time with his grandchildren, Crue and Annabel.

And take advantage of cheap, winter-rate travel bargains.

“That’s something I’ve never been able to do before.”

 

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