Clint Browning and Carli Aldridge were looking to change things up in their lives.
Just a few years ago, Aldridge was a banker seeking more time with her family. In 2006 Browning was a child abuse investigator and an industrial manager with a psychology degree wanting to follow a life-long dream of teaching.
Both are products of Tallassee City Schools and both landed at South Middle School. In the last month Aldrigde was named the school’s Support Staff of the Year and Browning the school’s Teacher of the Year.
After 15 years in management, Browning made the decision to change careers again and go back to school with support of his wife, who is also an educator.
“It was always a desire of mine to go back to school and teach,” Browning said. “She really supported me changing careers and taking a huge pay cut to do something that would make me happy. I decided to go back to school, drop what I was doing, and chase a dream.”
Aldridge was one of four tellers that opened the First Community Bank of Central Alabama in Tallassee. After several years she applied to be secretary at SMS.
“I wanted something where I could spend more time with my children and family,” Aldridge said. “Then the bookkeeper position became available and I applied for it.”
Browning knew he could use his experience in management to help students, faculty and staff.
“It is something to help other people and use that to teach leadership,” Browning said. “So my original plan was actually to do history and let that lead into administration.”
Browning had just started his education to become a teacher when a phone call altered his path from history to math. He got a call from Tallassee High School. They were seeking a math teacher.
“Matt Coker called from the high school when he was the principal there,” Browning said. “He said, ‘We're in an emergency situation. I need a math teacher. I've been told that you're a math whiz. Is there any way you would be willing to change your school program from history over to math?’”
Browning changed his plans and was soon teaching math.
Since Browning started his teaching journey ten years ago, he has been in school seven of them. Browning has completed two masters degrees giving him three masters and will soon have an education specialist degree.
In 2018 Browning moved from the high school to middle school.
“I’ve been here ever since,” Browning said. “They’ve got me doing so many different things in the district.”
Browning is the Tallassee City School drug testing coordinator for all students in grade seven through 12 that are involved in extracurricular activities.
“At Southside, I'm also the building testing coordinator,” Browning said. “I oversee all of our state standardized testing. I have to train all of our teachers, our certified staff and our classified staff on all of our state procedures, to make sure we're following state guidelines.”
He also serves on the SMS administration leadership team.
“Early every morning I’m meeting with Mrs. Spencer just doing anything she needs to take some pressure off,” Browning said.
The teacher of the year said he stops short of discipline issues.
“I like to handle as much of the stuff in eighth grade as I can without having to push it over to the administration,” Browning said.
SMS wasn’t the first time Aldridge and Browning encountered each other. Aldridge was still working in banking and Browning was working on a lesson at Tallassee High School in personal finance. First Community Bank had a school branch and Aldridge came over to help.
The partnership is still there.
“He is my tech guy,” Aldridge said. “Anytime I have computer problems I call him. I’m not tech savvy.”
Browning and Aldridge said the career changes have paid off all the way around. Aldridge still visits her friends at First Community Bank of Central Alabama making school deposits, but there is something a little different about the school setting for her.
“I love it,” Aldridge said. “It's a lot more time off and a lot more time that I get to spend with my family. But I just love the people here. I couldn't do what I do without everybody working together like they do here. Everybody's such a great team here.”