Troy Anderson This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. New assistant principal brings optimism to MHS

   www.ecm-inc.com/news/milaca/20 - [Cached]

   Published on: 9/9/2004   Last Visited: 9/9/2004

   Milaca High School students returned to school Thursday, Sept. 2 and found a new assistant principal - Troy Anderson.
   
   Anderson was hired and began work Wednesday, Sept. 1. He replaced Gregg Miller, who was with the school for two years, but resigned in August.
   
   Anderson grew up in the area, graduating from Princeton High School in 1991.
   
   He received a bachelor of science degree in special education from Moorhead State in 1996.
   
   Anderson began his teaching career at Norman County East High School in Twin Valley, Minn., which is northeast of Moorhead.
   
   He spent a year in Twin Valley and then worked at Cornerstones Day Treatment facility in Buffalo for three years.
   
   Anderson worked with Level 5 EBD (emotional behavioral disorder) students who were struggling in main stream school. His goal was to work with the students and get them back in a regular school setting.
   
   He then taught at Mora High School for four years, once again working with special ed students.
   
   Anderson left Mora in 2003 to become the dean of students at Pine City for a year.
   
   Anderson said of his new position in Milaca, "It was very fortunate that this job came up."
   
   An avid golfer and hunting and fishing enthusiast, Anderson said he's familiar with the area and he and his wife Amy are happy to be here.
   
   The couple have been married for a year and own two dogs and two cats. Amy is a veterinarian in Mora.
   
   Anderson understands there has been a "revolving door" in the administration at Milaca, but says, "Our hope is to stay here."
   
   Anderson's aspirations
   
   It's his underlying joy in being around kids that originally guided him to the education field.
   
   "It's fun seeing the growth and being around fresh minds," Anderson said of students.
   
   Anderson is surrounded by education. His father Rodney is a retired teacher and his mother Vicky still teaches in Princeton. His grandparents were also teachers.
   
   It was his attraction to kids who were struggling that sparked his interest in special education, and a desire to instill a positive attitude in them.
   
   It's that positive attitude that Anderson believes he offers the Milaca School District, and the reason he moved toward an administrative position.
   
   "I saw what I could do differently," Anderson said, such as promoting good staff morale.
   
   He also wanted to stay in touch with a broad area of the school, rather than just one population of the school.
   
   When asked about the No Child Left Behind law, Anderson said there are some good aspects to the concept, such as providing good testing data.
   
   However, Anderson believes the program is designed for failure. "The focus becomes negative," Anderson said.
   
   It stresses the negative and doesn't accentuate the positive, Anderson said.
   
   As for special education students being proficient and at the same level as other students, Anderson said, "It's unreasonable at best.
   ...
   But Anderson adds, "That doesn't mean we shouldn't expect kids to improve and progress."
   ...
   "I firmly believe in keeping good teachers and keeping them happy," Anderson said.