ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — Splitting time between two different schools may not be the easiest task but Mark Doherty, new Assistant Principal at Robertsdale Elementary School, has been making it happen for the past four weeks.

Also Assistant Principal at Fairhope Elementary, Doherty spends Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning at Fairhope and Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday at Robertsdale.

“This is the first week I have really been here all three days because of training and meetings and so far, I am very impressed wit h the school. The faculty seem to be very hardworking and I am getting familiar with the students. Has a real feeling of a good neighborhood school,” Doherty said.

Growing up in Semmes and graduating from Mary G. Montgomery in 1993, Doherty received his B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of South Alabama in 1998 and began at Fairhope in 1999.

Teaching third grade for 12 years gave Doherty the inspiration to go back to school to pursue a Master’s In Administration, which he received in 2002 from USA.

“I was the first male classroom teacher Fairhope had ever had and seeing these kids on a daily basis showed me how much they really needed a positive male figure in their lives. Many of them come from single parent homes and were looking to male sports figures and actors as role models and sometimes they are not the best ones to look to. Instead of just influencing a classroom, I can influence two schools, which is great,” Doherty said.

Finding out in November he would be splitting his time between the two schools, Doherty is just glad he still has a job.

“When we started the school year, Fairhope had 703 students and the State only pays for a full-time assistant principal when the school has 880 students. So the Board did some restructuring and trying to figure out who was needed the most where. We were given options and able to choose our own schedules so this seemed like a good fit for me,” Doherty said.

Starting his fifth year as an assistant principal, Doherty spent three years at the Fairhope K-1 Center and the past two years at Fairhope Elementary and is looking forward to getting to know the other administrators.

“I have not worked directly with Mrs. Shepherd or Mrs. Holmes but have had contact with them at various meetings. This is a unique situation with three new administrators at one school. I am learning a lot of things quickly and one thing I’ve learned is you have to be flexible in the educational field,” Doherty explained.

Not really sure what his goals will be for the remainder of the year since he just got there, but Doherty explained he was excited about what the coming year will bring and getting to the 993 K-6 students at RES.

“I went into teaching so I could have the ability to make a positive difference in he lives of my students and I want them to make good choices and decisions,” Doherty said.

Married for 11 years, Doherty and his wife, Keturah, have a five-month old, Maeve, and a 10 year old Pekingese, Xander and live in Saraland. In his off time, Doherty likes to fish and burn rubber in his race car at Mobile International Speedway.