MCC’s new high school principal brings 30 years of education experience

Brian Dotson

Spartan News is a presentation of Mason County Central School District in partnership with Mason County Press. 

By Kate Krieger Watkins, MCP Contributing Writer

SCOTTVILLE — Mason County Central High School’s new principal, Brian Dotson, would probably tell most people he is happy his childhood dream of becoming a garbage man did not come true. If it had, Dotson might not have become such an influential figure in the lives of so many young people.

“From an early age, I wanted to be a garbage man because I thought it would be cool to ride on the outside of the truck,” Dotson said. “However, I originally went to college to become a mathematician. I’ve always had a preference toward math and science and math was something I received high scores in and enjoyed.”

Although his love for math during his youth was not a bad thing, Dotson realized that majoring solely in mathematics might not be as enjoyable as he once thought.

“After one semester in college, I decided that being a math major wasn’t something I would enjoy by itself,” he said. “After some self-reflection, I turned my focus to early childhood education because I wanted to share my love of math and education and make class fun.”

Dotson was born and raised in Painesville, Ohio, east of Cleveland. He received his undergraduate degree from Baldwin Wallace University before moving to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he began his teaching career.

“I got a job teaching second grade in Wake Forest,” Dotson said. “I moved around teaching everything from second grade to K-6 technology in North Carolina. I also coached varsity cross country and track. My wife, Betsy, and I made the decision to move from North Carolina to Michigan when we were starting our family and wanted to be closer to both our families.”

Dotson’s educational career includes positions as a fourth-grade teacher, technology teacher and youth program director. He later served as Ludington Area School District’s grades 6-12 athletic director and middle school assistant principal before becoming an elementary principal.

Dotson spent nearly seven years as a principal with Ludington Area School District, where he collaborated on budget development, school improvement planning, staff evaluations and instructional programming.

In 2022, he became MiSTEM regional director at West Shore Educational Service District, overseeing STEM education initiatives across an eight-county region. In that role, he developed regional strategic plans, managed grant-funded budgets, built partnerships with community organizations and helped establish two west Michigan robotics facilities. He also mentored new MiSTEM directors and served on a statewide mathematics task force.

As a seasoned educator, Dotson said he had many teachers and coaches who paved the way for him and influenced his decision to enter education.

“I had so many incredible teachers and coaches throughout my career, I’m not sure I can just pick one,” he said. “I say that with complete sincerity. Coach Bill Sarvis taught me to believe in myself and not let any obstacle get in my way. Mr. Pierce, my environmental teacher, taught me that hands-on learning is the best method to retain knowledge. Mr. Dayton, my algebra II and AP calculus teacher, taught me that math was fun. Mrs. Behnke, my fourth grade teacher, taught me to love education. Mr. Blazey, my band teacher, taught me to be responsible and that to be on time is to be late, but to be early is to be on time. All of them were seriously the best.”

Taking bits and pieces of memories and advice from his own teachers and coaches, Dotson has built a career spanning more than 30 years in education. He was hired as MCC High School principal over the summer, leaving his position at West Shore ESD.

“My role at MCC is to serve the students, staff and families of MCC High School and I do that through building strong, professional relationships that foster a community of learning,” Dotson said. “A principal is a mixed bag when it comes to what the job entails. Every day is something new. One day can be developing plans for a teacher professional learning community day that involves professional learning from West Shore Educational Service District, district instruction from within our own capacities, leading professional development myself, or finding outside professionals to lead new learning.

“The next day is leading activities with students, observing and helping teachers grow professionally, meeting with administrators inside and outside Mason County Central, or even meeting to develop partnerships with community businesses. Of course, managing student behaviors is part of the job as well, but the ‘Spartan Way’ helps curtail a lot of unwanted behaviors because students want to make better decisions to get their ‘Spartan Way’ rewards like long lunch Fridays.”

While Dotson has experienced many rewarding moments throughout his career, including seeing the “aha” moment when a student understands a lesson and begins to thrive, he has also experienced struggles familiar to many educators.

“Just like any job, failure in any sense of the job is the hardest part,” he said. “I want to be everything for everyone and that simply isn’t possible, so when something falls through the cracks or a student is upset, or a family doesn’t like a decision made, it often feels like failure.

“It’s easy to ruminate on that failure and forget about the other 300-plus students that are happy, learning and enjoying their educational experiences because in that moment, the failure is what’s loud and seen by the public. Having a great team around you often helps you get past the struggles and remember that there are plenty more people happy with their educational experience than not.”

Along with the challenge of trying to please everyone, Dotson said another part of education he is not fond of is the emphasis placed on standardized testing.

“If I could change one thing in education, it would for sure be less focus on standardized tests and more focus on students reaching their personal goals,” he said. “Standardized tests prove that a student is good at taking a standardized test on one specific day, under artificial conditions, using a rigid set of criteria designed for an average that doesn’t actually exist.

“They measure memorization and pattern recognition instead of deep understanding, creativity and personal growth. Instead of reflecting a learner’s potential, passion or unique skill set, they reduce complex, multidimensional human beings to a single score, forcing schools to teach to a system rather than teaching to the child. I would love nothing more than to quit comparing our students to each other and focus on teaching them to be better versions of themselves.”

Despite his concerns about standardized testing, Dotson said there have been many accomplishments during his career of which he is proud.

“Earning the Outstanding Practicing Principal recognition in 2020 from Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association (MEMSPA) and being named Michigan’s National Distinguished Principal in 2021 in Washington, D.C., was an incredible experience,” he said. “I have seen so many incredible principals across the state of Michigan receive that award over the years and never in a million years thought I would join the ranks of them.

“When I first became a principal in 2015, I searched for new jobs all the time because I felt it was not the job for me. Fast forward five years later and it was the only job I could see myself doing. Being an educational leader is an emotional roller coaster but one that I will never take for granted. Crossing the stage in Washington, D.C., to accept my award is something I am beyond proud of and will never forget.”

When he is not at school, Dotson enjoys spending time with his wife, Betsy, daughter, Brenna, and son, Brock.

“When I’m not working I love being outside,” he said. “Whether that is boating or kayaking on the lake or doing yard work, I enjoy the Michigan summers and the beautiful weather that comes with it. My family is what gets me through the day, watching my daughter dance competitively or playing outside with my son.

“More recently, I have really been into learning how to fix small engines as well as working on cars and trucks. I’ve never been handy with motors, but lately I have found real enjoyment learning about how they work and how to fix them. Definitely not a pro yet, but I’m enjoying learning all about it.”

Asked about the ongoing shortage of young people entering college to study education, Dotson said he is well aware of the additional responsibilities being placed on teachers today. But he said those who have a passion for helping young people should still consider the profession.

“Teachers are asked to do a lot,” he said. “It’s no longer teaching a subject four times a day. A teacher may have four different preps, all needing to have high-quality assessments that are graded and input into an online program for parents and students to monitor, while also differentiating their instruction for the various needs from student to student and keeping track of the accommodations they offer each student and the amount of times they offer them.

“They also attend meetings before and/or after school that cover student needs, new initiatives, school improvement, etc. Teachers are expected to monitor students’ mental health and support their mental health needs or help them get the help they need. Managing behaviors is by far more difficult today than it was years ago. The majority of our teachers coach athletics or a non-athletic club after school.

“They do all this for a wage that, like many other jobs, is not covering rising costs around the world. So, what do I say to encourage someone to pursue a degree in education? If teaching is what you love, then go into education. You’re going to work for 30-plus years of your life and you need to make sure you’re doing what you love. If teaching is what you love, then all that other stuff I mentioned earlier does not matter. Because you love teaching and that is what teachers do, they teach.”

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