Westview and Weakley Leaders Receive Patriot Award

Coach/Teacher/Lt. Col. Baker Says Thank You
Posted on 08/07/2019
This is the image for the news article titled Coach/Teacher/Lt. Col. Baker Says Thank YouLt. Col. Ed Baker has been active in his military service for 27 years and a teacher for 24. On Wednesday, the Westview teacher found a way to say thank you to the school principal and district director who make accomplishing those two roles easier.

Baker nominated Westview principal Jeromy Davidson and Weakley County School Director Randy Frazier for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award and presented the framed awards to the two men at a press conference in Westview’s cafeteria.

The ESGR’s series of awards allows an employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve (or spouse) to nominate employers and supervisors for support provided directly to the nominating service member and his or her family. The Patriot Award recognizes efforts such as providing flexible schedules and time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.

Baker explained that since 1996 when he came to Westview, he has routinely missed school to serve his up to two-week commitment.

“The county and my supervisors have always accommodated my need to miss work to fulfill these commitments,” he said. “However, in the spring semester of 2013, I was deployed to Kuwait to serve in Central Command for six months. My extended absence from the classroom was never questioned, and not once did I feel as if it was held against me in any way. Furthermore, the very next year, in the spring semester of 2014, I was sent to intelligence officer school in Texas, also for six months. Again, no one questioned my absence, and, in fact, county and building-level supervisors were very supportive, even proud, of my role in the military.”

Davidson expressed some of that pride as he responded to the presentation, “My family has four generations of family members in the service, serving in World Wars I and II, Vietnam and the Gulf War. The military is very important to my family and I am honored to be able to help those who not only serve our children at the school, but our country,” Davidson said.

Frazier echoed the support, “We recognize the sacrifice these men and women make to serve around the world. It is important to us to recognize and support them at home.”
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