Q&A: Cindy Davis, Principal of Longview Elementary

It’s been almost 20 years since Cindy Davis worked at Longview Elementary. She helped launch the Williamson County School District school in Spring Hill in 2007, as a second grade teacher. 

After 10 years at nearby Allendale Elementary, the Spring Hill native could have stayed the course until retirement, but her daughter, who is headed to college this year, encouraged her to take the leap. 

Davis spoke to Williamson Scene about her vision as the newly minted Longview Elementary School principal. 

Williamson Scene: How does it feel to be returning to a school that you helped open? 

Cindy Davis: It feels like a full circle moment. I think I always felt deep down inside that I would come back in some way. I didn't know how or when, but it's funny because when my daughter and I would pass by Longview, I would say ‘I think I'm going to be back over there one day.’

What is something that you want new students to know about you? 

I like to have a lot of fun. I like to work hard, but I also like to play hard. I do have high expectations for them, but we're going to have fun working hard together. I just love kids. I love being around not only kids, just people. I love to help people. That’s just my nature. 

What do you want teachers to know about you? 

I have empathy. I see them as a person before I do just somebody that's doing the work. I care about them, and I just pride myself in that family-type atmosphere. My Allendale family would tell you that they're my family, that's how I treated them. When they're going through things, I'm going through it with them. I’m praying with them and for them when they’re having challenges in their own homes or when they’re going through things at work. 

I would want them to know, too, that I'm a collaborator. I'm not just a person barking orders. I care about their perspective. 

What do you want parents to know about you? 

I'm here to work with them. I want them to know that everything I do is with thought and reflection, and trying to do the best that I can for their child and other people's children.

When you're in situations that involve multiple kids, one parent always feels like you haven't done enough, the other parent feels like you've done too much. I just would want everybody to remember that I feel like they're all my kids, and so I'm going to do right by all of them. 

Was there an experience that made you want to be a teacher or administrator? 

I've always wanted to be a teacher, and I used to fight it. When I became older and got to college, it's not what I majored in at first. I majored in psychology. I always knew I wanted to work with kids. I was the first one in my family — I come from a family of five older brothers, and I'm the sixth child — and I was the only one to go to college and finish, so there was a lot of pressure in that. I was like, if I'm going to college, I want to be able to make money.

I remember a professor saying to me, 'if you're the kind of person that's going to take these cases home with you, you may need to reconsider,' because you have to leave it there. And I was like, there's no way I can leave it there. I never give up on people. 

I talked to some family members; they're like, ‘Why don't you just be a teacher? You know that's what you want.’ 

How do you unwind and prevent burnout outside of work? 

I have been working on trying to find a hobby, but I guess I would say movies.  I'm a big movie buff; I love crime and thrillers. That gets my mind off of reality — Law and Order, the court shows like Divorce Court or Judge Judy. I love Judge Judy.  It helps me focus on something else, and I love to be able to see things through beginning, middle and end. 

What’s the biggest challenge and the biggest joy of being in education? 

The biggest joy is just being around the people, coming in every day, and being with people, and every day is different, you don't know what you're coming into day to day. I love a challenge. 

I would say the challenge is just sometimes not feeling like you have all of the resources to do what you think is best — whether it's not having enough people, not having enough money, or not having a certain program. 

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

I'm excited about being the principal. I didn't know how I was going to feel once I accepted it. I didn't even know how much I needed a change. I think you know God has a way of doing that to you when you don't even know why it's happening, and then one day you're like, this is why.