Fremont principal with 'constant sense of calm' retires, plans to serve children overseas

James Grandon was halfway through an art degree at Missouri State University when he left on a church mission to the Philippines.

He returned to the Ozarks, two years later, with a different plan.

"What I realized was teaching people, lifting people up, is what really made me happy. So I thought 'What does this mean for a career choice?' recalled Grandon, principal of Springfield's Fremont Elementary. "Education seemed to be the right fit."

Back at Missouri State, Grandon married Tiffanie — now a sixth-grade teacher at Wilson's Creek Intermediate — and he has worked the past 27 years for Springfield Public Schools.

The couple, who have five children and two grandchildren, have talked over the years about the life-altering time he spent in the Philippines.

"My wife said 'I want to have that experience, too,'" he said.

Grandon, who retires this summer, said the couple will pursue that in their next phase of life They plan to sell their home and many of their belongings to go serve with an international teacher education program that supports schools overseas that lack needed infrastructure, training and resources.

"You go help train teachers, you support students and you try to promote higher education and try to raise the level of opportunity for people who can't just drive down the street to a university," he said.

The couple, part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were exploring senior missionary programs when they learned of the option headquartered in the Pacific Islands.

They signed up and don't yet know where they will be sent first.

"We will be given a unique assignment based on where they feel the need is," he said.

In the role, they will serve as adjunct faculty members of the Brigham Young University–Hawaii and hope to spend the next 10 years or so overseas.

"We're young enough and we're still healthy enough to just go and help people," said Grandon, 53.

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'Very calm, serene leadership style'

The 1987 graduate of Kickapoo High School later earned master's and specialist degrees from Missouri State.

Grandon viewed public education as a vocation and worked almost exclusively in elementary schools with Title I funding, given because they have a high percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price school meals, a national measure of poverty.

All but one part-time assignment were in schools located near or north of Chestnut Expressway.

"It was on my heart and it is where I have connected," Grandon said at Fremont. "I have multiple generations. There are people all through this school that I taught their parents. What a neat experience to see people over generations and get to help with their education."

His career started with a five-year stint teaching math at Robberson. Hired as an assistant principal, he split his time between Westport and Gray, which is in southwest Springfield.

Grandon was named principal of Boyd, where he spent 13 years and was instrumental in implementing an inquiry-based interdisciplinary curriculum framework called the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. It is also offered at Field and Rountree.

"I'd sit back in awe of his grasp of all things IB," said David Martin, the retired former principal of Rountree, who had attended trainings with Grandon.

"He was always wanting to learn new things, whether it was the IB PYP program or the move to Fremont and the things they did there. He was always wanting to continually move forward with educational programs and always keeping the kids in the center."

Grandon worked with community partners to provide additional layers of support for a portion of students at Boyd who lived at a homeless shelter that used to be located on Commercial Street. The Missouri Hotel later closed and Boyd moved to a new school building on Division Street.

"As a principal and leader, he was a constant sense of calm," Martin said. "I don't think I've ever seen him flustered or anxious. He has a very calm, serene leadership style."

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'Building relationships with others'

For the past eight years, Grandon has been principal at Fremont.

Early on, the elementary south of Interstate 44 was renovated and expanded during a $13.8 million project that was part of the voter-approved 2013 bond issue.

Grandon said the learning space was improved and he was able to draw on his art background to help design, along with teachers, creative elements in the sprawling school known for flexible space, bright colors, and nature-themed classroom clusters.

Among other things, he created the logo on the gym.

Gary Tew, a retired elementary principal who works part-time at Parkview High School, met Grandon while they were both at Robberson. The two have remained friends.

"The biggest thing about James is just a kindness toward people," Tew said. "He was very positive with staff, with students."

Tew said Grandon has high energy and has remained motivated to help others.

"The best way to serve people it to treat people the way you want to be treated. Everybody has gifts and goals in their life and as a principal we try to (cultivate) that with good relationships," he said. "Definitely with James that is one of his strengths is building relationships with others."

Grandon, who is soft-spoken, said his approach to being a principal is to set expectations, be consistent and get out of the way.

"The magic happens in the classroom," he said.

As he prepares to leave Fremont and Springfield, Grandon said he will miss the people most.

"This is not a manufacturing industry. We are not manufacturing brains, we are building people. It is about that human connection," he said.

"Everywhere I have been I have found such wonderful, talented people that want to help kids. Sometimes they talk about this as 'mission' work and maybe it is. It is about those little hugs, it is about the connections and it is about the little moments."

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 'Calm' Fremont principal retires, plans to work with children overseas