Westview High School Principal Jeromy Davidson and Weakley County Director of Schools Randy Frazier were honored this week with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award by Westview teacher and Lieutenant Colonel Ed Baker.
Lt. Col. Baker has been active in his military service for 27 years and a teacher for 24 and nominated both Davidson and Frazier for the award to show his appreciation for the two allowing him to do both.
The Patriot Award recognizes efforts such as providing flexible schedules and time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.
Baker said that since 1996 when he came to Westview, he has routinely missed school to serve his up to two-week commitment.
“The county and my supervisors have always accommodated my need to miss work to fulfill these commitments,” he said. “However, in the spring semester of 2013, I was deployed to Kuwait to serve in Central Command for six months. My extended absence from the classroom was never questioned, and not once did I feel as if it was held against me in any way. Furthermore, the very next year, in the spring semester of 2014, I was sent to intelligence officer school in Texas, also for six months. Again, no one questioned my absence, and, in fact, county and building-level supervisors were very supportive, even proud, of my role in the military.”
(photo: Teacher, coach and Lt. Col. Ed Baker expressed his appreciation to Westview principal Jeromy Davidson and Weakley County School director Randy Frazier by nominating the two men for the Patriot Award, one of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve series of recognitions for support of National Guard or Reserve members.)
