THE BREAKTHROUGH COACH: Mr. Bunting, you have an interesting background. Can you tell us about it?

CURT BUNTING: I have a B.S. in Science, an M.S. in Sports Science, and a certificate in Administration, from the University of Delaware. I'm now working on my Ed.D.. I taught special education, health, physical education and coached athletics for nine years, then spent three years as an assistant principal at a high school. I had terrific mentors, and when the principalship opened at Sussex Tech, I felt ready. Sussex is a full-time comprehensive 9-12 high school with 1250 students and over 100 staff.

TBC: What challenges did you find when you started at Sussex Tech?

CB: Academically, the school was solid, with 95% of the students meeting or exceeding state reading standards, and alignment to the state curriculum standards was completed. My challenge was to sustain - and even improve - that achievement level. The demands on my time were enormous: I had to deal with teacher evaluations, schedule and attend meetings, train my assistant principals and deal with paperwork - including over 100 e-mails a day! There was simply no time to collaborate with staff and spend time in the classrooms. My challenge, in a nutshell, was to figure out how to maximize my resources and still find time for a personal life.

TBC: What brought you to the TBC seminar?

CB: One of my assistant principals attended Malachi Pancoast's session at Harvard, and came back really excited about TBC's approach. I am on the board of the Delaware Principals' Academy, so when Malachi taught a 2-Day Program there, I attended.

TBC: When did TBC's approach begin to resonate with you?

CB: It was immediate. From the beginning of the first day, I was able to connect Malachi's examples with my own experience. His explanation of the difference between being a coach and being a player - the manager vs. the technician - fit perfectly with what I'd learned as a coach.

TBC: What happened when you returned to your school after the TBC program?

CB: I had learned how to collaborate, communicate and delegate, using TBC's Management Methodology^™ and my secretary. I began developing a "turnkey system" to train staff and establish administrative depth - still a work in progress, but it's not just about me anymore. The school runs even when I'm not there, leaving me more time for a personal life.

TBC: How are things at Sussex Tech now?

CB: Our retention rates are much better, and applications are up. This year we had more than 700 applicants for 330 9th-grade spaces. We have data-driven goals. When our students leave us, they've mastered skills and competencies for both college and the workforce.

We were designated a Blue Ribbon school in 2008 - the only high school in Delaware to win that for the second time.