Ester J. Pabon, Fox Trail Elementary

On August 16th Karlton Johnson and Esther J. Pabon were among the hundreds of new District employees getting their first taste of what it's like to be a member of the Broward County Public Schools family.  Now, four months later, they feel very much at home.

After working for 14 years in various high schools and middle schools with the Miami-Dade school system, Karlton Johnson joined the staff at Blanche Ely High School as an assistant principal. "I had been serving most recently as an assistant principal at Miami Edison Middle School but wanted to get back into the high school arena," explained Mr. Johnson. "After researching my options and seeing how committed this District is to performance levels and curriculum, I knew I wanted to join it. So, I applied for the position at Blanche Ely, got the job and have experienced a very warm and wholesome welcome from the District. I've had great support at every level," he said.   It appears that Mr. Johnson's work has already been noticed. He's been promoted to intern principal and is well on his way to fulfilling another goal: that of being a full-fledged principal someday. Mr. Johnson, who lives in Pembroke Pines, strives to maximize the potential of students. His focus is on improving his school, raising test scores and serving as a role model for up and coming educators.

And if there's anyone who knows how to accomplish goals, it's Mr. Johnson. He scored plenty during his tenure as a professional athlete where he worked out with the Vancouver Grizzlies in the National Basketball Association and played in the Continental Basketball Association. "During the off-season I pursued a degree in education so that I could work in an arena where I could give back once my basketball career was over," said Mr. Johnson. Seems like it runs in the family, too. His wife, Davida, is the principal of A.C. Perry Elementary School. They have two children: daughter Imani is in fifth grade at Coconut Palm Elementary School and three-year-old Niara attends day care.

Esther J. Pabon, a first-grade teacher at Fox Trail Elementary in Davie, is also enjoying her first year. She began her teaching career in Colombia, South America and, upon returning to the United States in 1994, obtained a Bachelor's degree in education from Florida Atlantic University and taught at various private and charter schools in the area. "I was extremely excited about teaching here - and am even more so now that a few months have gone by. The parents in this school are very involved and the children are so happy to be at school and really want to learn," said Mrs. Pabon, who lives in Pembroke Pines. "Our principal, Linda Chuckman, is wonderful, too. She has an open door policy that makes us feel welcome to come in at any time and she values teacher input and trusts our professional opinions. I feel very fortunate to have her support as well as that of her administrative team."

Karlton Johnson, Assisitant Principal Blanche Ely High School

Mrs. Pabon is especially impressed with the overwhelming teamwork effort at Fox Trail. "Although I have a tremendous amount of work to do, I never feel that it's unmanageable because of the phenomenal teamwork at this school," she said. "I really think it's the teamwork that makes Fox Trail Elementary School so successful." Mrs. Pabon is grateful to her co-workers for making her feel so welcome and at home, too. "They took me right under their wings and made sure I was filled in on everything. My fellow teachers are very professional, extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic, dedicated and care very much for their students. I'm so impressed with them and fortunate to be a part of their team."

There's one more friendly face Mrs. Pabon sees in the hallways at Fox Trail: that of her daughter, Gabriela, who's also in her first year at the school. "She's having a great year so far and has never been happier!" All in all, life is good for Mrs. Pabon. "I wake up every day excited about going to work - it's just wonderful!"