CO students, faculty are Beaty's focus

May 24—Debbie Beaty wants all the students at Crab Orchard Elementary to know that she loves them.

It's part of her daily announcements — "At Crab Orchard Elementary, we love you, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Beaty, who was named the Cumberland County Principal of the Year and the Upper Cumberland CORE Region Principal of the Year, has served as the principal of Crab Orchard Elementary for three years. It's also been her home school for her educational career.

"When we all had to go virtual, I went to each class and stuck my head in to tell them that every day," Beaty said.

"They would say it with me."

While school is a place for students to learn and to grow, it is also important they know they are loved and supported, she said.

"I think the students know they can come to myself or Natalie [Roberts, assistant principal] either one," Beaty said.

Crab Orchard Elementary is a special place, Beaty said, with a caring, welcoming community of teachers, staff and parents, and students with "hearts of gold."

"This school and the kids embrace challenges," Beaty said.

She relayed a story from the book fair this spring. A box was set out where students could donate their change to help classmates who might not have the funds to buy a book.

"The donation box was overflowing," Beaty said. "That's just them. And when we get new students, they welcome them like they've been here all their lives."

Beaty grew up in Cumberland County. After high school, she spent a few years working in the family business at Shadden Tire before taking a job in the city of Crossville finance office.

Beaty, who had two young sons, began thinking about a career in teaching. She took a job as a teaching assistant at Homestead Elementary and began taking classes at Roane State Community College and Tennessee Technological University.

Beaty began teaching in 1997 as a third-grade teacher. Her first year teaching was also the year she and husband, David, began building a home and she was expecting twins.

Two years later, she had the same group of students as their fifth-grade reading and math teacher. Then, two years later, she moved again to the seventh grade, teaching reading and math to that same group who had welcomed her as a first-year teacher four years earlier.

"I had one student say they had been asked about their elementary school teachers, and they said, 'Well, it's just Ms. Debbie," she said, laughing. "But I enjoyed that. I never got into a rut."

After seventh grade, she returned to third grade and back to fifth grade before she entered administration.

She served as assistant principal under Rebecca Farley, who now serves as the pre-K-eighth grade supervisor for the school system, for about 10 years before she was promoted to principal in 2018.

"I enjoyed being a teacher, but I really enjoy being able to interact with all the kids," Beaty said.

From her first day as principal, she's been guided by whatever is best for the kids.

"They have to come first," she said. "And I think my teachers and employees feel that way, too."

One of her first projects as principal was coordinating with Wilson Construction Co. on the project to renovate and construct a mostly new school for the community.

"Dr. Farley started pushing for that project when she was here," Beaty said.

The $10.5 million project started in the summer of 2018 and finished up in the winter of 2019. It replaced the original 1972 portion of the building with a new office suite, cafeteria, gymnasium, library and classrooms.

The construction process went smoothly, Beaty said. She said she had a lot of support from the school system, the staff and the construction company.

"I couldn't have asked for anyone better," she said. "Any question I had, I could go to them."

The school was ready around fall break 2019. The construction supervisors were thrilled to get to see the students as they got their first look at their new school home.

"We brought them a grade-level at a time. We all cried. We thought we were over it, but seeing their excitement...." Beaty said.

The Crab Orchard students and staff are still settling into their new space. Work continues on adding playground equipment and murals through the school.

It's been an interesting school year, Beaty said. Enrollment remained at about 460 students this year despite the pandemic.

"This year has been unusual, with teachers teaching virtual and in the classroom," she said. "They have gone above and beyond to do whatever they can."

Beaty wants to support her team as much as she can.

"I tell them often that I wouldn't want to do this life without them," Beaty said.

The school has worked to continue to provide opportunities for students, such as the Run Club and the Fuel Up to Play 60 and Dairy Alliance programs year-round, and the fall coat drive in memory of former student Brisco Walker.

But there have been people missing this year — the volunteers who give of their time and talents to the school.

"But we still have groups that have offered their support," Beaty said, including the Fairfield Glade Rotary Club, Ladies Club and several churches in Fairfield Glade along with the city of Crab Orchard, which has been a long-time supporter of the school.

Shortly after taking the reins of the school, Beaty visited with the Fairfield Glade Rotary Club and shared that about half the students at Crab Orchard live in Fairfield Glade.

This summer, Crab Orchard Elementary will serve as a host school for the summer learning program for first-grade through eighth-grade students.

Beaty said she's had a supportive family and a supportive faculty and staff, and she credits both with her success in her role.

She is married to David Beaty, who serves on the police force in Fairfield Glade and previously served as police chief for the Crossville Police Department. She has two sons, Justin, married to Melanie, and Jake, married to Stacy, and two daughters, Jenna and Jacie. She also has three grandchildren, Ella, Amelia and Jase.

Heather Mullinix is editor of the Crossville Chronicle. She covers schools and education in Cumberland County. She may be reached at hmullinix@crossville-chronicle.com.