Veteran Shelbyville educator settled into new office as Waldron Elementary School Principal

Bambi Garrison is the new Principal at Waldron Elementary School

WALDRON -- For the first time in 14 years, Bambi Garrison will not have one of her own children in the school building where she works.

The veteran educator was recently hired to be the new Principal at Waldron Elementary School, replacing Lisa Speidel, who has moved into the Shelby Eastern Schools administrative office as Director of Student Services.

Garrison is a 1998 Waldron graduate that did cadet teaching at the elementary school while she was in high school. She believes that was the last time she set foot in the building prior to her interview for the principal’s position.

“There is a little bit of nervousness but a lot of excitement,” said Garrison. “I have big shoes to fill. There is some nervousness for sure.”

Garrison earned her administrator’s license nearly two decades ago but never left the classroom setting, following the educational track of her two children with her husband, Jason.

She taught at Coulston Elementary School in Shelbyville for 15 years before spending the last six years at Shelbyville Middle School. With both of her children, Jake, a senior, and Julie, a freshman, now at Shelbyville High School, the timing was perfect to pursue a return to Waldron.

“I thought I wanted a job in administration right away but babies take your time,” she said Thursday from her new office at Waldron Elementary. “It just didn’t work out until now. I got to go with both kids to the middle school and now both are at the high school. I think it’s time and the right place opened up.”

The first day for Waldron students is Aug. 6. Garrison confirmed her new school is fully-staffed and nearly ready for the first day of school.

“I had to fill three new spots and every single teacher I hired has experience,” said Garrison. “We have one that I graduated with from Waldron. She came back with 17 years experience at Perry Meridian. One (hire) just moved here from Wisconsin and she has 10 years experience. I brought Betsy Means-Davis over (from Shelbyville Middle School) and she has 22 years experience.

“We are super thrilled that we were able to get such great experience with our new staff. I was kind of nervous about that with the teacher shortage. We were so fortunate to have that experience come along.”

As Garrison has settled in, she has relied on Speidel’s counsel to make sure Waldron stays on track.

“I am glad she is still in the corporation. She is there for me,” said Garrison. “I have already life-lined her a couple of times. The families, the teachers and the kids loved her. Her son, Josh, works here. It’s going to be hard to fill her shoes. With her being here, she can help me along the way.”

Garrison admits the school building looks very different from when she did cadet teaching in the 1990s, but there is staff there she knows which has made the transition easier.

“Waldron is in a great place. The last two years they have met their 95% reading goals,” she said. “Their teachers are dedicated.

“The biggest obstacle I see right now is just getting to know everybody. The nice thing about that is since it’s a farming community, it’s a lot of the same families, just newer generations from when I went there.”

And once she has met and talked with the staff, she will be ready for the students.

“I will pop into all the classes and introduce myself,” said Garrison of her day one schedule. “I want to make sure the kids know who I am.”

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