After 40 years of service to Clarkston Community Schools, William Potvin is saying goodbye.
The Andersonville Elementary principal will retire at the end of this school year, and is looking forward to travelling, spending more time with his five grandchildren, and delving further into a stain glass hobby.
Overall, his career has been fulfilling and varied. ‘Every year has been different. It’s never been the same ol? same ol?.?
And if he could have more time off in the colder months for travelling, he’d continue to work.
‘I’ve really been lucky, I haven’t gotten to the point where I’ve had enough. I’m not leaving angry. If I could be given a couple months off in the winter, I’d work forever,? Potvin said, who hasn’t missed a day of work due to illness in 24 years, which he credits to good genes and regular exercise.
Born and raised in a 5,000-person upper peninsula town, Potvin had planned for a life in dentistry.
When he was young he chipped a tooth during a football game, when a bottle acting as a football hit him in the mouth. ‘So I got to know my dentist real well,? he laughed.
In eighth grade, Potvin’s dentist asked what he planned to do with his life. Potvin wasn’t sure, so his dentist suggested going into dentistry, with intentions of joining his practice and taking over when the elder dentist retired.
‘That’s what I was going to do until I hit my senior year chemistry class, and bombed it.? Potvin was tutored in the subject, but was still baffled by it. Since chemistry is key in dentistry, he realized he’d need a change of plans.
It ended up quite a simple task. In the matter of a three minute conversation with another, he came to the conclusion, based on his school career track of all A’s in English, to become an English teacher. He seemed to enjoy leading and organizing events, (he organized sports in the neighborhood when he was young), so teaching felt like a good fit.
A friend told him Clarkston schools were paying their teachers $4,800 a year, versus the $2,200 offered at schools in the U.P. Potvin — who has a bachelor of science in secondary education from Northern Michigan University; a master of arts in curriculum from Michigan State University; a master of arts in education leadership from Eastern Michigan University; and completed coursework, but no dissertation, for a doctorate in education leadership from Wayne State University — followed the money.
Superintendent Dr. L. F. Green hired Potvin into the district. Potvin recalled at his job interview, he found himself lost as he tried to get out of the building. He took a wrong turn, taking him past Dr. Green’s office again. He overheard Dr. Green speaking into a tape recorder, saying hire Potvin because he was 6?1? and 200 pounds.
‘What did I go to college for? I was big before college,? Potvin joked. ‘But in the 1960’s discipline was a really big issue. They wanted big instructors.?
In 1963, Potvin began teaching English and Social Studies at Clarkston Junior High School, where he would stay for six years.
At the time he started there were only sport programs at the high school, so Potvin and fellow faculty members got together to coach junior varsity intramural sports. There was no budget for it, so they held fundraisers through concession sales at high school football games.
The team of teachers bonded well with the kids, and at the end of the season took the kids to a Detroit Pistons game.
‘We were on the highest deck,? Potvin remembered. ‘They (the Pistons) looked like little ants running around. But the kids were thrilled.?
His time teaching and coaching at the junior high level is one of his fondest memories of his career.
Then in 1969, Potvin became assistant principal at the junior high school, and then principal from 1972-78.