By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
As Courtney Porter reflects on the past, she still maintains the ability to look forward to the future.
An interview with Porter one year ago would have been totally different than the one that took place last week.
Twelve months ago, she was in the middle of her 10th year as an assistant principal at Lincoln Trail Elementary School, in Mahomet.
She enjoyed the job and many of the people she associated with on a day-to-day basis.
“I would have retired there,” Porter said, looking back.
That option no longer exists.
In late February, 2018, she was informed that her reclassification from assistant principal to a classroom teacher would come before the Mahomet-Seymour School board on March 12. After a closed-session hearing in early May, Porter and the district came to an agreement and parted ways.
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Though Porter willingly reflects, she doesn’t dwell on the past.
Friends who see her now notice the sparkle in her eyes, the charismatic smile, how she is standing tall again and not walking like she is shouldering a heavy burden.
“I’m really happy with where I’m at right now,” Porter said “In May, I couldn’t have said that.”
She needed time.
The day after her tenure in the district ended was especially tough.
“I ran 10 miles with my two dogs at Allerton Park,” she said. “They are runners, but I can keep up with them or they can keep up with me.”
She also had messages to track.
“People reached out to me, hung out and made sure I was OK,” Porter said. “I received a lot of texts and phone calls.”
She was appreciative, yet she described it as an eerie experience.
“I felt like I was at my funeral,” Porter said, “hearing things people say after you’re gone.
“I was overwhelmed by the amount of support.”
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Interestingly, Porter already had a plan.
She had started working on a second master’s degree (this one in social work) in June, 2014.
In the subsequent years, her progress was slowed as she dealt with not only the death of her mother, Gail, but also the death of the woman she considered her “second mom,” Lee Roll, plus three surgeries and added, “I waited a year for one class.”
By last spring, she had finished most of the requirements, except for a big one.
“There was an internship I needed to complete,” Porter said. “It was seven months, pretty much full-time.”
She was stressed about how to fulfill the requirement while still employed by the M-S district.
“I didn’t want to leave, but I wanted to figure a way to do it,” she said. “I thought maybe I could work (all day) and go to (the internship) afterwards, but I was concerned I wouldn’t get the experience I’d need.”
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Just days before learning about the upcoming M-S school board vote, Porter had an interview for an internship at Rosecrance on March 1, 2018.
It wasn’t a credit to her quickness. The meeting with the clinical director of substance abuse had previously been scheduled.
Porter is thankful that first impressions didn’t have a bearing on whether she would be accepted.
“I was struggling with what I had been told (about her position in M-S),” Porter said. “(The interviewer) would probably describe me as being scattered.
“She told me she probably wouldn’t have hired me given my performance in the interview, but she felt there was something about me and wanted to give me a chance.”
On March 12, 2018 the seven-member Mahomet-Seymour School Board voted 6-0 with one member abstaining, to demote Porter from her assistant principal position during the 2018-2019 school year.
After two private hearings between the district and Porter, the parties parted ways on the back of a $150,000 settlement agreement.
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Porter signed an agreement not to discuss details of what she was told that prompted the separation at M-S, but when presented with three options, she said there was just one she seriously considered.
“I chose to stand up for myself,” she said, “and ask for clarification. I took the involuntary reassignment.”
She received a cash settlement from the district, but decided to make ends meet in other ways while working at the unpaid internship.
“I haven’t touched it,” she said. “I manage my money pretty well and tried to be mindful of what I was spending.
“I got rid of a vehicle and had some savings.”
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Porter started work at Rosecrance the week after she left her position at M-S in May.
“It all unfolded, but not exactly the way I wanted,” Porter said.
“Things do happen for a reason.”
She finished the internship in December, the same month she graduated with her second master’s degree.
Next month, she plans to open a private practice in Savoy.
Her interest is in working with children. Her business partner, former Lincoln Trail social worker intern Kelly Monahan, will focus on couples and family therapy.
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During her time at Rosecrance, Porter led group sessions with clients.
Eighteen years in education had her well-prepared for that role.
“I never thought I would be a drug court clinician,” she said, “but there are a lot of parallels to being a teacher at a school.
“I took a hands-on approach. I loved going there every day. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished the last six or seven months.”
In her mind, a Facebook quote, shared by a friend, serves as an excellent reminder.
The words: “Sometimes God uses your deepest pain as the launching pad for your greatest calling.”
Her life reflects that example.
“A wise person said, ‘You may not understand right away or in the time you want.’ “
She believes, however, she is where she belongs.
“I feel one of my biggest strengths is relating to people, especially children,” Porter said, “and helping people deal with things.”
She already played a major role in helping one person deal with things: Herself.
