By Rebecca Fry and Ashley Harker
After one year as High School Dean of Students to his band director job, Dr. Murphy has resigned from TAHS.
Murphy is now going to attend a school in Scranton area as an assistant principal. He decided to move there because of the job offer and how it will benefit both his career and his family. Though his wife Kina has to find a new job, she supports his decision to move 100%. They are excited to live closer to both of their families. Murphy’s dog will also benefit from moving, because in the long run, they plan on buying a house. So, their Italian Greyhound will be able to have a big yard to run and play. And, one day hopefully, they plan on adopting a Greyhound rescue dog.
Murphy has gone through multiple changes in his teaching career throughout the last five years here at TAHS. Many memories have been made and cherished by both him and his students.
Kati Koback, senior, said that while only having Dr. Murphy for one year as dean, she still wishes, “Good luck to him and his new job.”
As band director, some of Murphy’s best memories have come from all of the rehearsals and the hard working students that have made the band what it is today. As dean, some of Murphy’s best memories have come from watching some of the high school’s students turn their lives around by listening to his advice and working harder to manage both their attitudes and their grades.
Murphy said that accepting the job of dean has affected him a lot. He said, “I am a lot less fun. In band, whatever we built was based on a fun work environment. As dean, I have a different perspective. I have to take myself a lot more seriously.”
The interviewing process for the assistant principal job was three weeks. He was notified that he was able to accept the job, and had only two days to decide if he was going to take the job or not!
“It’s one of the harder [decisions] I’ve ever made,” Murphy said.
Murphy said that his band students will be upset at first when he leaves, but they will support his decision. He hopes that the school will find the right person to take over his position as band director.
Emily Jamison, junior, said that the year that Murphy came to Tyrone as a high school band director, she wanted to quit the band in her middle school career. Murphy advised her to stick to it just one more year and trust that things will fall into place. She did, and has never regretted that decision. Since then, she has become a drum major, a part of the jazz band, marching band, and more. She said that because of him, she “is honestly a better person and musician.”
She went on to say, “I won’t ever forget what he’s taught me.”
Murphy says that anytime someone leaves, there is a grieving period; but the group grows even stronger as a whole. The school board is committed to find an “energetic and passionate teacher” to fill Murphy’s place as band director.
Jamison said that she would miss Murphy’s daily stories. She’d also miss being able to talk to him when she’d need a friend to talk to about her problems. She said that her perspectives haven’t changed when it comes to him becoming dean this year. It has been harder for the band students to keep up their level of musicianship. She goes on saying that hearing students badmouth Murphy is hard to hear when she knows him on more of a personal basis enough to know that he’s an awesome and hardworking teacher.
Mrs. Hipp said, “Dr. Murphy is just about the best band director ever. He is really inspirational both to students and faculty. I really learned a lot from him and will really miss him next year.”
Murphy has taught the longest here at Tyrone, a total of five years. He said that this was his best band that he’s ever had. Murphy said teaching at Tyrone has “been the best experience as a teacher.” As a dean, Murphy said that he is much more sympathetic towards other deans and principals in their hard jobs that they have.
There are many students that want to follow in his footsteps and Murphy shares his advice with them: “Work incredibly hard because sometimes in the absence of leadership, things still need to get done.”
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