Estes Principal Ryan Williams’ commitment to his students
Photo by Jamie Plain
Local elementary principal Ryan Williams had three dreams growing up — to grow to be 6 feet 9 inches tall and play for the Kentucky Wildcats, to be a game show host like Pat Sajak or to become a teacher. One of these dreams came true for him and he never could have imagined how the reward of working with students was better than any of the fame his other two dreams could offer.
“After having Mrs. Smith and Mr. Barron at Holy Name, I wanted to become a teacher,” Ryan said. “I really struggled in school. Kindergarten through 3rd grade was extremely difficult for me. What helped me succeed was that my parents spent countless hours after school working with me and my teachers didn’t give up on me.”
Ryan can still remember the impact that these two educators had on him, a lasting impression that he hoped to bring to his own students one day.
“Mrs. Smith was my 4th grade teacher and something with her really clicked with me. She spent time getting to know me and what my interests were,” Ryan said. “I met Mr. Barron in 7th grade. He was my basketball coach and was also my social studies teacher in 8th grade. He was all about discipline and getting every ounce of effort out of his students and his players. I was extremely tough and he believed in tough love. He is probably the main reason I entered the teaching profession.”
After high school, Ryan excelled in college. He graduated from WKU with his undergrad and masters degree, completed his administration degree from University of the Cumberlands and has his National Board certification.
Learning to work to achieve his goals came at an early age from watching his parents and grandparents. Williams says the hard work and dedication he saw in them growing up played an integral role in who he is today and why he is an educator. His career started in 1999 with his first 13 years at Cravens Elementary School, 10 of those years spent teaching the first grade. He quickly found he had a soft spot for struggling readers.
“I met with the students and their parents and talked about my struggles as a reader and the power of the triangle,” Ryans said. “We discussed how each side of the triangle equates to parents, teachers and students. If all sides of the triangle are doing their job, the triangle will not fall on itself. If one side of the triangle isn’t holding up its part, the triangle will struggle to stand.”
Tapping into that former childhood dream to be a game show host, Ryan found ways to connect with his students. He created engaging lessons that involved him dressing up as different “hosts.”
“I created a phonics game show called the Prove It Show. I created another phonics segment where I dressed up as a drill sergeant named Sergeant Sounds. I created a tag team wrestling game where I dressed up as a referee and the students battled for the Mr. Williams Tag Team Reading Championship Belts. My former principal Chris Gaddis built me a homemade wrestling/reading ring and I had the students compete in it.”
Ryan built a relationship with the World Wrestling Entertainment company and they would donate different items he would use to motivate students to read and write. They would send him autographed pictures, dog tags, action figures, posters and even tickets when they were in Evansville.
“There was a span of 4 to 5 years I would host reading nights at Cravens and if the students showed up with their parents and read their writing they would be entered into a drawing to go to WWE Wrestling with me. Those nights were special. It showed the students that their writing had a genuine audience and their hard work was worth it.”
WWE would send Williams 10 tickets and he would give eight tickets away. The parents brought their tickets to the event and they all sat together with Williams.
According to Ryan, during the 2011-2012 year his students at Cravens received some of the highest math test scores in the district. It was those scores, and Ryan’s commitment to his students, that led him to receiving the 2012-2013 Kentucky Milken Teacher of Year Award.
But Ryan takes no credit for this commendation, acknowledging that the team of teachers he worked with were some of the very best around.
In October 2012, Ryan moved to Estes Elementary School to serve as the curriculum facilitator. He left a school that was flying high with progress and was entering a school that was in the bottom 5 percent of the state for test scores.
“It didn’t phase me because I was up for a challenge,” Ryan said. “Mrs. Flagg had some great ideas and I wanted to help with the implementation of those ideas. She let me try some different things and lead through being myself.”
Williams became assistant principal of Estes Elementary in 2018 and then principal in 2019. He carried over many of his former classroom strategies when he took on the lead role at Estes. Initiatives like the “Estes Belts,” which are wrestling style belts to recognize student success and fun characters, like Papa Elf, modeled after the popular Elf on the Shelf.
“My favorite part and most gratifying part of my job is the interactions with students,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my staff, but the children are the reason I wake up and come to school everyday! I turned 49 in January, but I am a big kid at heart. I love talking to them and getting to know them. I will do anything for the students at Estes.”
And he’s not joking when he says anything. Ryan made local news last semester when he got the Estes Bulldog tattooed on his arm to celebrate his students’ achievement with their state test scores.
“Unless you work in education and at a school like Estes you will not understand the amazing accomplishment our students and staff pulled off last year,” Ryan said. “Many schools are still struggling to find academic success and make it back to where they were before Covid. Last year, after two years of our students and teachers working their tails off, we rebounded to where we were before Covid.”
Ryan promised his students and staff that he would get the tattoo – his first – if and when they became a four-star school.
“When I was hired our scores took a dip the year before and I was looking for ways to motivate the students to want to do well on the state test. It kind of came out of my mouth and after I said it I couldn’t go back on my word,” he said.
With three children of his own and a wife in her 25th year of teaching at Hager Preschool, Ryan understands the importance of work/life balance. He tells his staff at Estes that family comes first.
“Life is too short and you have to put your own family first because your own children grow up so fast,” he said. “As an educator you have to turn off your email and phone and focus on your life. I’m truly blessed to work at a school where we make no excuses, exceptions and just work toward expectations.”
