COLUMBIA (WACH) - You could say Ike McLeese is going back to school. The head of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce was "Principal for a Day" at Hyatt Park Elementary in Columbia.
It's a program that ran in all Richland One schools Thursday.
"Generally as principal it's a matter of monitoring and supporting and doing whatever is necessary to make the school day run smoothly," said Hyatt Park Principal Elizabeth Eason.
"I've done a reading program with a pre-k class, I observed a math class. Fortunately they didn't ask me any math questions, I would have been embarrassed," said McLeese.
McLeese is not embarrassed to talk about the connection between business and education. He says a local company donated bicycles that were given away as prizes to students who signed up for voluntary PASS prep courses.
PASS is the statewide assessment test administered to public school students.
"It gets you back in touch with the challenges, triumphs, trials and tribulations of a teacher in our classrooms in District One," adds McLeese.
Meantime, a few miles down the road at Alcorn Middle School, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin learning about a reading program and quizzing students on their favorite books.
"We visited 10 classrooms so far, seeing students get neck deep in math, science, and reading," said Benjamin.
Glorida Saeed was principal for a day at Dreher High School. Saeed is deputy director of TN Development Corporation.
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