Five questions with ... Stark County educator Polly Doyle

Polly Doyle lives in Louisville and was an English teacher at Louisville High School for 20 years before becoming principal for 13 years. She retired in 2008.

After retirement, she began working as communications coordinator for Northwest Local Schools and now.

"My position is through the Stark County Educational Service Center, and I have taken on projects for the SCESC and other area districts," she said. "I currently work only with North Canton City Schools."

She is married to Tom Doyle, and she has four stepsons: Kevin (chemical engineer, lives in Colorado), TJ (data scientist, lives in New Orleans), Joe (manager of manufacturing engineering lives in Columbus) and Eric (police officer and SWAT team, lives in Indiana). The Doyles also have a Westie named Ben.

Why did you choose to go into education?

My father was a teacher, coach and school counselor. My mother wanted to be an English teacher, but she dropped out of Muskingum College to marry Dad just before he shipped out to Europe during WWII. Our mother had a significant impact on our career choice, as she took my sister and me to the North Canton Public Library twice a week to check out the maximum number of books we were permitted.

She was also a stickler for proper grammar. My sister earned a PhD in TESOL and recently retired from teaching at the University of Munich. With our upbringing, teaching English was a natural choice.

What has been your favorite role working in education and why?

I loved being an English teacher because of the opportunities to directly impact the lives of students. I especially enjoyed teaching writing because students, no matter what their career choice, need to be able to think and write.

I also coached track and field and served as an adviser to different organizations. The high school experience should offer activities beyond the classroom to help students develop relationships, improve self-esteem and learn leadership skills.

Why has education been so important to you?

My parents instilled in us that a quality education is essential to success in life, and education does not stop with a high school or college diploma.

When educators tell me they can’t use technology because they went to high school before computer classes were offered, I tell them I learned math on the abacus but can still use a computer. We can all learn and grow. Staying engaged keeps us mentally sharp.

What do you feel are some of the strengths of the Stark County school districts?

People don’t realize the excellent quality of Stark County school districts. When schools across the nation closed last year because of the pandemic, Stark County schools stayed open, offering in-person, online and hybrid learning. Districts enforced safety standards to protect students, staff, and families. Thanks to the leadership of the school districts, our students were able to continue their education.

Four years ago, when our county schools saw the tragic loss of young lives because of suicide, districts reacted immediately. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Akron Children’s Hospital investigated the cases and issued reports that resulted in area school districts contracting with mental health agencies who now work with students and families to provide services to protect them.

Of course, Stark County residents are familiar with the competition between districts in sports and in other co-curricular or extra-curricular activities, but many people do not understand the collaboration that takes place behind the scenes. For example, in Stark County, when a district wins a grant or develops a program that will help students succeed, that district shares the details to help other districts or schools achieve success as well. We are truly fortunate to have outstanding educators who care about all students, not just those that reside in the boundaries of their school districts. The Stark County Educational Service Center plays an important part in encouraging this collaboration.

Would you share a short story or two about student successes that you experienced during your career?

It is difficult to share specific stories because some are very personal. I am proud of our students who have gone on to achieve remarkable things, such as a CEO of a major company, a dean of a prominent university, or a national security expert.

These achievements, however, do not overshadow the success of students who overcame personal battles, such as physical challenges, economic difficulties, or abusive family situations to become happy, responsible citizens who make their contributions to our community. People do not go into teaching because they want to become wealthy, seeing our students succeed as adults goes beyond any monetary value.

Editor's note: Five questions with ... is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Polly Doyle answers 5 questions about her career in education