41 Years Of Service, Kindness

Press release from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools:

12/8/2020

Remote learning has helped Joey Burch prepare for retirement. "Since March 13, I've only worn a suit and tie twice," he said. "Spring and summer graduations. That's been nice."

After 41 years with the district, Burch is preparing to retire in mid-December. He's been principal at Levine Middle College High for the past six years and has served as a principal for more than 25 years. He's worked under 12 superintendents and at a handful of schools. "The only thing that has never changed is the kids," said Burch. "Even though they're in high school, they still need to be nurtured and supported. They think all the adults are stupid and don't know what we're talking about. Our kids and parents don't fully know how good we are until later. We don't get a lot of positive feedback and thanks while the kids are in school. That comes later."

A Charlotte native, Burch is a graduate of Independence High. In middle school, he exceled at sports but developed knee issues that prevented him from playing in high school. "I decided to stay involved in athletics by taking the coaching route," he said.

He went to Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) for two years and then to Appalachian State University to complete his education. "It is pretty crazy that I ended up being the principal of a school that is part of the CPCC early college program," said Burch. "It's wild how things work out."

Burch started at what was then known as Carmel Junior High where he taught health and physical education. "I still think of those as my most fun years," he said. He taught there for 12 years and then went to South Charlotte Middle for three years. He returned to Carmel as an assistant principal and began his first principal job at Smith Academy of International Languages. He also served as the principal for J.M. Alexander Middle and North Mecklenburg High. At the time, J.M. Alexander was the largest middle school in the state and North Mecklenburg was the largest high school.

In 2007, Burch moved to Cato Middle High where he worked to get the school to full capacity. He helped grow the middle college program with the openings of Harper and Merancas middle colleges. "That has without a doubt been one of the best parts of my career," he said. "Our middle college program is something that I am really proud of."

Burch has worn many hats over the years. He hasn't been afraid to literally get his hands dirty. He kept paint in his office so he could quickly paint over offensive graffiti. "If you leave it up, even for an hour or two, you're condoning it," he said. He's painted bathroom stalls and will never leave a piece of trash on campus. "I have picked up a lot of paper over the years," he said. "But I had a mentor tell me once that you should never have anyone on your campus working harder than you are. I've tried to set that example."

While he never planned on transitioning to school leadership, Burch said mentors along the way encouraged him to go for it. "They saw something in me that I didn't see in myself," he said. "I had great mentors like South Mecklenburg Principal Maureen Furr, Greg Klemmer, Ken Wells and Ron Thompson. They made me want to pay it forward. I saw a lot of great examples that I was able to incorporate into my own leadership style. You can build a network when you're good and fair to people."

That's something that Burch has tried to pass along to his students, colleagues and staff, known as "The Burch Fraternity." Hal Bagwell, a teacher and coach at Ardrey Kell High, is Burch's former student and is getting ready for his own retirement. Ardrey Kell Principal Jamie Brooks is also a former student.

Brooks said that Burch is the same person he was when she was a seventh-grader at Carmel. "One might believe that is it his 40 years in CMS that led to his hair loss," said Brooks. "But I can confirm that way back in 1984, as I sat in my cheer squad line in the Carmel gym, Mr. Burch was well on his way to that infamous and well-loved hairstyle. I don't remember much from those days, but I do recall Coach Burch and his scruffy look as he motivated girls from the bench. I used to enjoy going to watch the games."

When Brooks graduated from college and started looking for a teaching job, she reached out to Burch. "He encouraged me to reach out to the Carmel principal and even put in a good word for me. Thanks to his guidance, I landed my first teaching position at the same school I attended when he was my teacher," she said. "I will always be grateful for nailing down that job at Carmel. Those were some of the best years of my career."

Burch also helped Brooks' husband, Andy, secure his first assistant principal job. "He's been a teacher, a mentor, a principal colleague and always my friend," said Brooks. "They just don't make them any better than Joey Burch!"

Levine English teacher Kim Tuttle has worked with Burch for nearly 14 years. They first met when she presented at a principal meeting, and Burch's personality stuck with her. "He was cracking jokes and having fun and just made me feel comfortable," she said. "When the opportunity to work for him came up, I couldn't turn it down."

Tuttle said that over the years, Burch has become much more than a principal. When she found out that her father was terminally ill, Burch was the first person she told. He immediately sent her home to be with her family. Tuttle missed about two weeks of classes, and she later found out that Burch was in her classroom covering for her himself. "When you come across somebody like that, you're willing to go to the ends of the earth for him," said Tuttle. "He believed in my potential from the very beginning. My daughters look at him like a grandfather. He's always been a part of their lives. And he always will be."

Burch said focusing on relationships is the key to successful school leadership. "It is all about creating a good environment and that starts with the principal," he said. "Good principals aren't behind the desk on the computer. They are out in their schools, getting to know everyone. I always tell my students and parents that they may not agree with my decisions, but they will always feel like they had the chance to be heard."

For years, Burch has joked with his students that if they're ever asked what the best part of Levine is, they'd better say, "Our principal!"

But Tuttle says to the students, it's not a joke. "A student recently said, 'Mr. Burch jokes around, but he is the best part,'" she said. "Our students absolutely love him because they know that he cares about them."

Early in his career, Burch implemented the Brittany Brandon Alex Rule. Named after his three children, Burch bases every decision he makes on what he would want for his own children. "I think, 'What would be the right decision for them if this were an issue at their school?'" he said. "If you base your decisions on the Brittany Brandon Alex rule, I have peace to sleep at night."

When Burch first started teaching, mimeograph machines were still popular. Schedules and grades were entered by hand. Middle schools were junior high schools with seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade students. "We thought the copy machine was the greatest thing since sliced bread," he said.

Today, his students have been learning virtually since March. "I feel like in a lot of ways technology has sort of passed me by," he said. "I know enough to do my job. I rely on my great staff for anything beyond that. And the technology is great. But I really miss that human connection."

After years of debate, Birch decided that December was the right time to retire. He and his wife, Ronda, hope to spend more time with their granddaughter, Kennedy. "My bride has been absolutely the best source of support for me throughout my career. There were many long nights and many things I missed with our own children. She filled in the gaps and stood by me. She's been amazing. Now I am looking forward to spending more time with her and the rest of our family. I have three great kids and an amazing son-in-law. You can't ask for much more than that."

Burch knows that adjusting to retirement will have its challenges. "I am so used to the school schedule," he said. "I am so used to working around our Thanksgiving and holiday breaks, planning over the summer. Even when I'm off campus, I think, 'Well, it's lunchtime. I wonder how that's going. Oh, it's dismissal time.' That will be a hard habit to break."

But Burch knows that it's time, and he knows that Levine will continue to blossom. "I am at peace with my decision," he said. "Levine is ready for some new leadership. It's time for someone else to put some blood and sweat into this campus and keep making it even better."

Burch also has no regrets about the choices he made in his career. "When I hear from students whose lives I've impacted, I feel like that affirms that what I do is a calling. This is what I was meant to do. I am a man of faith, and I believe that everything happens for a reason. That is part of the journey. So it is so rewarding to get these emails and phone calls from students who remember me fondly."

While Burch will be officially retired on Dec. 21, his legacy in the district will continue for years to come. His son, Brandon, is a teacher at Community House Middle. And he was hired by Jamie Brooks. "It gave me such joy to hire Brandon Burch to be one of my physical education teachers, just like Joey had been my PE teacher," said Brooks. "And Brandon is a chip off the old block. He is kind and caring to the core, a truly good man. The Joey Burch and Jamie Brooks story came full circle."

This press release was produced by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The views expressed are the author's own.