Alumni Spotlight – Barbara Clark Lamond ‘88

While most people in the teaching profession have determined that path from an early age, Barbara Clark – known to her classmates and friends as Bobbie – graduated from Susquehannock in 1988 without a clear idea of what she was going to do.

In addition to lettering in volleyball, Bobbie was an excellent student at SHS, earning membership in the National Honor Society, and was accepted at the University of Delaware, enrolling as “undeclared.” It wasn’t until she worked in the University’s curriculum development lab that she realized her life’s calling and interest in children. Bobbie earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1992 and accepted a classroom assignment at Elizabethtown Middle School that fall.

She then began work on her master’s degree in administration at Temple University and was later named as her school’s assistant principal.

When asked about her decision to leave the classroom for administration, she explains, “I loved the children, but I thought I could do more for them as an instructional leader.” She credits in part her experiences at Susquehannock, where she served as a member of Student Council and Class Secretary, for sparking her interest in leadership.

Bobbie was at Elizabethtown for 10 years and then accepted a position at the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) as a part of the Commonwealth’s Center for Safe Schools. “It was right after Columbine,” she remembers. “It was a huge issue. I knew I could make a difference.”

At PDE, she helped administer grant applications as part of her duties. Some of it was about physical security, but her real interest was in developing training programs about bully prevention, and it is still her passion. To Bobbie, “Safety is not about locks and hardware; it’s about climate.”

While she enjoyed the experience, Bobbie missed being with children. “After a year there, I knew where I wanted to be when the next September came around,” she says.

In 2004, Barbara accepted an assistant middle school principal position in the Southeastern School District, but became anxious to lead her own school. In 2007, she became the principal at Tri-Community Elementary School in Central Dauphin School District, a position she held for seven years, before returning to Southeastern in 2014 as principal of Stewartstown Elementary School.

She sees her greatest challenge as leading in an age of accountability that is based on high stakes test scores. She worries about a loss of perspective and appreciation for the components of a high quality education that cannot be measured by a single test.

She also sees adapting to instruction in an age of technology, where the students often know more than the staff.

Her experiences with Tom Naylor, Sue Schultz, and Ron Leese stand apart. She still remembers Mr. Leese’s “Leese-isms.” (“You gotta do what you gotta do to prove what you gotta prove.”)

She also remembers the dreaded renovation days of 1987 and 1988, her senior year. Members of her class had the distinction of being the only class that graduated off campus – at the York Fairgrounds.

And with the cafeteria out of service, cold meals were offered in the old gym. “I packed a lot in those days,” she recalls.

Bobbie now lives in York with her two children, Jamie (4th grade) and Ben (3rd grade.)

Thanks to Bobbie Clark Lamond ’88 for making us Warrior Proud.