First and foremost, he’s an educator. That’s where it started and that’s where his priorities have remained. As a teacher, an administrator, and as a coach.
Eric James teaches, and as he enters his third academic year as the principal of Brooke High School and his 30th year in education, he’s focused more than ever on each student and how they learn.
“No two kids are the same,” James insisted. “I’m pretty sure I realized that on my first day in education.”
James started his career at as the athletic director at Bishop Donahue in McMechen in 1995, and then he moved to Cameron High in 2000 where he was a physical education and health educator, and a coach in baseball, basketball, and football until he left for Hannibal, Ohio, to become the principal at River Elementary/Middle School in 2018.
In June 2023, Principal Eric James was hired by Brooke County Schools.
“My career has taken a lot of different twists and turns, and every place I’ve left was better, I believe, than how I found it, and it’s all led me to Brooke County Schools,” he explained. “That’s why, when this opportunity came up, it was a no-brainer. I knew the tradition and the history of Brooke High, and I was aware of everything that encompasses it, so it was a no-brainer.
“We’ve been bringing back a lot of values, and we’re hoping we can return to the lunch pail work ethic that was a big part of Brooke County for a lot of years because we want the kids to realize you have to work hard in this world to succeed,” he said. “We understand that times are different, and we’re changing with the times, but there’s no harm helping our students realize the benefits of hard work.”
Education’s Evolution
No longer are there straight-lined seats inside classrooms filled with students memorizing what they were told to, and that’s because it’s been proven that student collaboration helps all students learn the same information in different ways.
That’s because one person learns differently from the next person for a plethora of reasons, and understanding that sooner or later aids both the student and the teacher.
“There are family circumstances surrounding every student in every high school, and no two families are the same, and no two students are the same. That’s all true, but I don’t think the kids have changed much. They’re still curious, they want to be successful, and they want structure, but there is an element of care that needs to take place now that wasn’t part of education when I first started.
“As a school, we want to provide what our students need to learn because we know there are more obstacles than ever before,” he explained. “We’ve realized the students aren’t just going to learn because they’re sitting in a classroom, so we do what we can to get them ready.”
One at a time, of course.
“I tell our teachers all the time that one thing I’ve learning during my career is that you have to treat each student individually because they all respond differently to what we throw at them,” James said. “Throughout education, individual education plans are more important than they’ve ever been. So, as a teacher, you have to learn the student so they can learn the material.
“We want to make coming to school an inviting portion of a young man’s or a young woman’s day,” he said. “We want them to come to school because we want them to succeed once they leave us.”
“Hey Coach!”
Once the students leave the hallways and classrooms of Brooke High, his role changes.
Although he’s coached the sports he’s needed to during his career, the game of football is a passion for James and it’s rooted in his own playing days at John Marshall. It’s the X’s and the O’s, sure, but it’s also the lessons learned about the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and the importantance of teamwork no matter what the results might be.
“Athletics for some kids and extracurriculars for others make a big difference with a student’s experience at school, and I’m really thankful I have the opportunity to keep coaching football at Brooke High. It’s something I love and hold dearly,” James said. “I think sports allow the student body to come together as a community to support our teams.
“As far as coaching football, I think it allows our students to see a different side of me for three hours a day,” he said. “When I’m coaching, it’s all about those 57 young men that came out to play football for the Brooke Bruins. And I have to tell you, I’m feeling the winds of change in Brooke County, and I know the folks in the Brooke County community want that change.”
And winning makes a difference.
“Our student/athletes experienced a lot of success last year, which includes our state champion cheerleaders who won their 14th titles in school history,” James said. “And a lot of our teams made it to sectionals and regionals, and we’ve seen levels of success across the board, too.
“Another part of coaching is watching these athletes grow up and get better with their sports, but also in the classroom, and that’s why we encourage our students to get involved with a team or an activity,” he said. “There’s more to education than what’s in the books and in the classroom, and I believe sports and the extracurriculars are important parts of the overall education we offer at Brooke High.”
Facilities, too, have positive impacts on scheduling, safety, and attracting participants whether it’s about athletics, band, or any other extracurricular activity, and James has witnessed the affect since he arrived to Brooke High in 2023.
“Thanks to Dr. Crook, our Board of Education, and the people of Brooke County, we’ve been able to modernize our buildings and facilities so we can offer our students the best of the best,” James said. “At this point, heading into my third year here at Brooke High School, I’m pretty happy where we are right now with our upgrades.
“Of course, I’m never going to say I’m satisfied because we can always do the next upgrade because they’re made available all the time,” he said. “But our schools and our athletic and academic facilities are top notch and getting better all the time, and that’s what the kids and their parents are looking for these days.”
