GREELEY COUNTY

Josh Houston

6th - 12th Principal

Email: jshouston@tribuneschools.org

Phone number and ext: 

620-376-4265 Ext-7702

Subjects taught: 

6th - 12th Principal

Educational/ Professional History: 

Greeley County High School - Tribune, KS- High School Diploma (2006)

Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS — B.S. Technology Education, Minor Adaptive Special Education (August 2007 - December 2011)

Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS — Driver’s Education Certification

(August 2018 - December 2018)

Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS — M.S. Education Administration

March 2019 - May 2020

Bio:

I am the 6-12 Principal at Greeley County Schools. I received my bachelor's degree in instructional technology education, which is simply Fort Hays's way of making shop teachers sound fancier, and a minor in special education in 2012. I’ve been with the district since that time. I primarily taught in my content area, industrial arts (woodworking, drafting, and construction). Although, I did get the opportunity to teach a personal finance class for many years, and like so many rural teachers found myself outside of my content area when needed. In 2020 I received my master's degree in education administration through Fort Hays and was hired as the 6th-12th principal in 2021.

Although I've worked in Tribune for many years and enjoy being part of the community, I don’t currently live in Greeley County. Instead, I commute 60 miles (one way) from a small family farm in Southwest Hamilton County, where I live with my wife (Alyse) and three children, ages 9, 7, and 5 (at the time of writing this 04/06/22). Living where we do allows my wife to help her father farm and own and operate a combine to do local custom harvesting in the summer and fall. It also provides my children with the opportunity to experience a rural agricultural lifestyle that revolves heavily around family while providing them with rich opportunities to learn and grow that are hard to come by elsewhere.

Apart from work, I spend most of my time enjoying my family and serving in our local church. We spend most of our family time playing games, (card games, board games, whatever imaginary game any of the kids dream up, etc.), enjoying the outdoors (shooting firearms/bows, playing yard games, etc.), reading, and watching movies. I also enjoy grilling and smoking year-round, and while I do enjoy sports, I just don't find the time to faithfully keep up with any of them.

If I don't already know you, I'm looking forward to getting to. So, please feel free to stop by my office or give me a call any time.

Strengths I see in our school...

I see many strengths in our school. A few of them are:

The community we serve in that invests so heavily in our student's success.

Our staff and the active role they play in our student's lives, both inside and outside of the classroom.

Our size and the personal relationships it allows us to forge with all stakeholders.

Our course offerings. Fewer and fewer schools continue to maintain the variety of departments that are so strong within Greeley County Schools.

Our rural setting and the opportunities it provides as well as the values it instills.

Extracurriculars. We offer a wide variety of well-coached extracurriculars allowing all students to find an activity to be part of and successful in. 

Goals I have for our students and school…

I have many goals for our school and students. A few of them are…

For our school…

My goal is to provide a safe environment where students are comfortable reaching past their comfort zone (current level of knowledge or skill) as they acquire new knowledge and skills.

My goal is to provide an atmosphere where we celebrate everyone's achievements while shortcomings are owned and addressed in a constructive way that prevents them in the future.

My goal is to provide an atmosphere that equips the teachers and support staff to provide the quality education that our students need.

My goal is to work closely with the community so that we are serving them to the best of our ability in a way that is most relevant to them.

For my students…

My goal is for our students to develop strong character traits that will help them to become good men and women that strive to achieve their full potential as they contribute positively to society.

My goal is for our students to develop a passion for lifelong learning that equips them to search out and recognize truth as they work toward their purpose in life and strive to grow into it.

My goal is for our students to accept responsibility for all aspects of their lives and hold themselves accountable in a productive way.

My goal is for our students to be well thought out, intentional, and engaged. 

What I hope students gain or learn from me inside and outside of the classroom...  

I hope my students learn what it means to try your best. That failure is not the end nor something to be scared of but simply a learning opportunity that we will be blessed with our entire life. That it is the strong that admit their mistakes, accept the consequences, ask for forgiveness, and apologize as they seek reconciliation. I hope they learn the value of honesty and integrity and to be forgiving, compassionate, empathetic, kind, caring, and generous.