Introduction to Journalism contributors: Kay Duncan, Maddie Herring, Caitlin Meeker.

Hereford’s principal Robert Covert is approaching his new position with a focus on community input and communication. Covert enjoys connecting with students, teachers, and staff, trying to create bonds with everyone in the building. He wants to help get students ready for life after high school.

“He spends time with students and shows up to practices to watch athletes whenever he gets a chance,” said senior class president Grady Moran (’23).

As a first time principal, Covert has to listen to everyone. He doesn’t like to micromanage so he has to take into consideration the staff and student needs. 

Covert adds updates to the Hereford website, unlike previous years where Principal Jira would make calls to students’ families. In addition to helping parents, Covert has also worked to make the school better for teachers. Teacher complaints due to student cell phone use have been greatly reduced from last year. 

“He has a far stricter late policy for work but I think it keeps them [students] accountable and sets them up for college,”  Brady George (’24) said.  

Covert had to adjust to transitioning from having the mindset of an assistant principal to having to think about the entire school and Hereford community. He has to look at the big picture and it takes trust in the teachers and students. 

“Going from assistant principal to principal is hard,” Covert said. “But staying at the same school has made a lot of the transition easier.” 

Covert sometimes misses being a teacher and having ample time to connect with students. Connection with others and making a difference are the main reasons Covert wanted to become a teacher in the first place.

“I started student teaching as a way to earn some money in grad school,” Covert said, “I realized that I really liked it and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Covert wants Hereford to see him as more than a principal. He’s a husband and father, a Steelers fan, an aquarius and an animal lover.