After faithfully serving as Walnut Grove Elementary’s principal for over five years, Mike Landers is ready to retire and turn the page on his life.
An educator with over 25 years of experience, Mike has served the district for more than 16 years. Before he went into education, Mike worked at a public accounting firm for five years before deciding he wanted a career change.
“I found out I was missing out on things that were important to me as a dad,” Mike says. “I began to search for where my next step was going to be, and I made the decision in the mid-'90s to leave the corporate world and honed in on this dream and desire to become an educator.”
After he earned his master's in education, Mike went to work for Birdville ISD for eight years before he moved to Carroll ISD in 2005. He started as an assistant principal for Jack D. Johnson Elementary School before he was named head principal for Walnut Grove Elementary in 2016.
“My favorite part was working with teachers to help them become better at what they do,” Mike says. “Whether it’s going to training with them or just sitting down and brainstorming what’s going to be best for the kids, it was important to me to build those relationships not just with staff, but with kids and their families.”
Mike announced his retirement from the districts to WGES parents earlier this month. While he’s excited about his next chapter in life and getting to spend more time with his family, Mike says he will miss the lifelong friends he made while at Carroll ISD.
“I think the hardest thing for me will be getting up in the morning and not seeing the people I used to spend most of my day with — the people you laugh and play with,” Mike says. "I’m going to miss them the most.”
Mike will retire from the district at the end of May. His replacement is expected to be named by the end of April.