LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Kevin Pitts was nominated by his friend, Samuel Westbrook.

"I have known Kevin for over 30 years on a personal and professional level," explains Westbrook. "He is genuine and honest, and he makes a difficult job look easy. He is admired for his passion and dedication to students and staff."

The following is an article from the local paper:

While it seems like a dream job now, being a principal wasn’t Kevin Pitts’ original plan. Instead, he wanted to be a coach.

“While I was in college, I coached a few youth teams back in my hometown, and I just kind of figured that I wanted to do that with the rest of my life,” Pitts said. “I realized that one of the best avenues to doing that would probably be teaching, so that’s the direction I took. Honestly, I loved coaching, but I enjoyed teaching just as much.”

Pitts received his bachelor’s degree in education from Northwest Missouri State University in 1995, and right out of college was hired at the former Washington Middle School in Maryville as a paraprofessional. One year later, he was picked up to teach fifth grade at the school.

After three years and some master’s coursework, Pitts was hired to be the elementary school principal in the South Harrison district in Bethany, Missouri. He earned his master’s in education in 2000, also from Northwest, and by the fall of 2001 officially returned to what was now Maryville Middle School as the assistant principal.

Two years later, he was promoted to principal, and the rest – including an education specialist degree in 2011 from Northwest – is history. Now in his 14th year at the helm of Maryville Middle School, he said he couldn’t really see himself doing much else.

“Being a principal is so unique in that you have to maintain a budget and manage people, but you still get a chance to have a one-on-one connection with the students that come through,” Pitts said. “In education, it’s incredibly important to connect with the kids, and I feel like we do that on a daily basis here at Maryville Middle School.

“I can’t predict the future, but I know that I want to be connected with kids, and being the principal here gives me that ability. As an educator, that’s what I want most.”

Connecting with students isn’t the only thing keeping Pitts content right where he is. He said Maryville itself keeps him grounded as well.

“I’m a small-town kid from Iowa, the city life never really appealed to me and probably never will,” Pitts said. “My first day in Maryville was the first day of classes when I started up at Northwest.

“Maryville is a big town with a small-town feel for me, and what really kept us here is the people. Everyone is very supportive, especially of education. Sometimes the profession can feel lonely, but everyone in the community really supports what we’re doing out here.”

Pitts also sees community support expressed through the Town-and-Gown partnership between the City of Maryville and Northwest. He said numerous practicum students and student teachers frequent the halls of Maryville Middle School to make sure they’re prepared for their educational careers.

Pitts also speaks to Northwest practicum classes to impart knowledge to the next generation of teachers. It’s a great chance to brag about what he sees in his students from the second they walk through the doors on the first day of fifth grade.

“We try to instill in our teachers the fact that every student has genius, and we have to help them find it,” Pitts said. “That’s why we do a lot of the things we do, we’re all about helping students find and channel the things they’re best at so that they can succeed.

“We’re showing the students that we care, and it’s important to do that. We have a quote as you leave the office: ‘Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’ It’s important to show the kids you love them and you care about their success.”

Pitts said he’s not shy about sharing his own experiences in middle school with the students to let them know he understands their issues. The person who nominated Pitts said that Pitts’ passion and desire to see his students succeed is what makes him truly heroic. 

Outside of school, Pitts likes to hunt, fish, hang out with his family and do some auctioneering on the side. He also enjoys going back to his family’s farm in Iowa.

As for advice, Pitts had a few very simple words.

“Be you,” Pitts said. “Figure out who you are and go for it. Don’t allow others to distract you from being successful, just follow your own dreams.

“The other thing, especially in this day and age, is we need to be kind to each other. I try to put others’ needs ahead of my own, and I love watching others be successful. It’s really the most fulfilling thing about being a teacher.”