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By Mike Barnhardt
Enterprise Record

Fish in these parts had better take notice.
Jeff Wallace is about to “put some legs” on his fishing game.
The superintendent of Davie County Schools is retiring May 1. That means more time for one of his favorite hobbies – fishing.
His colleagues across the school system have heard him say the phrase “Put some legs on it” when they offer an idea he agrees with.
“Are you listening?”
That’s another saying that Jinda Haynes, interim superintendent, mentioned when talking about Wallace at his last board of education meeting earlier this month.
“We will all remember the ‘Wallace-isms,’ as we called them,” Haynes said. “And we will continue to use them long after you’re retired. I will call you while you are fishing …. and I do expect an answer.”
She went through Wallace’s time in Davie, from becoming the county’s first stable high school principal in several years, to leading the system through COVID, through the opening of a new high school, all while keeping students and staff safe.
“That’s not what defines your legacy,” Haynes said. “What truly sets you apart is the way you lead – with high expectations, but always with heart, caring about people … to listen, and sometime challenge.”
Wallace, she said, had the ability to be brutally honest while maintaining friendships.
“Davie County is better because of you.”
Anthony Davis, now the superintendent of Yadkin County Schools, started his career teaching alongside Wallace at Forbush.
“I leaned on him,” he said. “Jeff has a knack for finding things in people they can’t find in themselves. He didn’t do things for me, he taught me. Had it not been for him, there’s no way I could be doing what I’m doing today.”
Clint Junker said his 10 years on the board of education – and working with Wallace – was one of the best things he has ever done. “I saw the respect people had for Jeff Wallace. Respect – not fear – that those kids had for you (Wallace) just blew me away. You want to see what a true leader is made of, look to Jeff Wallace. What I saw was true leadership.”
Former board member Lori Smith remembers seeing a young student come up to Wallace and ask him what he did. “I work for you,” Wallace replied. The kids’ face lit up. “He’s a servant leader,” Smith said.
“You have had a great impact in a positive way,” said William R. Davie Elementary Principal Karen Stephens. “You’ve always been invested in the students, the staff, the community. You genuinely care about us.”
Davie High teacher Donna Dunn said Wallace was her fourth principal in four years. “He coined the phrase ‘It’s a great day to be a War Eagle’.” Wallace, she said, made a point to find students who were struggling, learn their names and greet them every day. “He was building a culture at that high school.”
Jeff Jones, current school board member and former resource officer at Davie High, said he heard Wallace say “It’s a great day to be a War Eagle” so often that he heard it in his sleep.
South Davie student Jackson O’Brien shares a passion with Wallace – fishing. Out of nowhere, Wallace showed up one day with a fishing rod that Jackson had coveted.
After the accolades at the meeting, Wallace shared some thoughts – including appreciation to his family members. He met his then wife-to-be Kelly at a Legion baseball game in Rich Park, when she playfully held back a hotdog he had purchased. Three years later, they were married, and raised two children.
Wallace grew up in poverty, and alcoholism was prevalent in his family. He and his brother were mostly raised by their grandparents – and influenced by public educators and coaches.
“Public education saved my life,” he said.
Wallace started working for UPS, until a mentor urged him to go to college. He did, and began teaching in 1993.
“I’ve never looked back,” Wallace said. “Public education serves absolutely everybody who walks through those doors.”
He became Davie High principal in 2008, and later served as associate superintendent.
“We often see what we’re looking for,” he said. “If I look at 6,000 children, I see 6,000 opportunities. And God created children, that makes a big difference. I would tell a child, ‘I don’t like what you’re doing … but I love you’.
“Education and my faith completely changed the trajectory of my entire family.
“Don’t every forget, we serve children. If I didn’t care about this job it would be difficult to do. There are plenty of student walking our hallways who are in similar situations as I was as a young man. You’ve got to care about them all.”
He had some advice for families.
“You will get out of school what you want to get out of school. You want bad, you’ll find bad. You want good, you’ll find good, and that’s true if life as well.”