Faces & Places: Two groups name Rutherford teacher of the year
This article appeared in the Tampa Tribune on June 10, 2001.
By DIANE LOEBEL
NEW PORT RICHEY - Bill Rutherford went from band student to teacher of the bands at Gulf High School.
This year he was named Teacher of the Year by Sam's Club and by the Randolf Ford Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7845 and VFW District 21.
``I've always admired the way Bill's students work and the respect they have for him,'' said Charlie Paxton, commander of Post 7845. ``I've known him for many years, and his contributions to the community and my post are numerous.''
Gulf High School Principal Cheryl Renneckar credits Rutherford for reviving a struggling band program there.
``Bill brought fresh ideas, leadership and enthusiasm to a program that was in disarray,'' she said. ``Under Bill's leadership, our band program has shown tremendous improvement and received numerous awards.
``He is a remarkable young man who has earned the respect of students, parents and the community.''
Rutherford's band students have a rigorous schedule. Along with attending regular classes and band classes, they practice regularly after school. Many of the students also take advanced courses, and some have jobs.
All of the band students participate in the concert band, marching band and jazz ensemble so they will become familiar with a variety of music styles.
``Some students have such a full schedule, I don't know how they manage to keep up with everything,'' Rutherford said. ``But they do a good job of it.''
This past school year, 54 band students and 14 chaperons traveled to Virginia to play in a music festival. They also visited Washington, D.C., so the students could get a living history lesson. They participated in a wreath- laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The students also saw the remaining damage at the Pentagon from the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.
To help pay for transportation for such trips and competitions, monthly fundraisers are held during the school year. The students sell candy and other items, wash cars, hold bake sales and generally make money any way they can.
Rutherford's commitment to the band, both on school time and his own, prompted one of his students to nominate him for the Sam's Club contest. A ballot box was placed at the front of the U.S. 19 store for people to drop in their nominations.
The local VFW post, meanwhile, sends nomination forms for its award to principals or supervisors. Rutherford was nominated by Renneckar.
Rutherford and his students have performed many times for the local post and have been involved in post programs on their own time.
From the post level, winners' names are sent to the district. Of the 17 posts in the district, Rutherford was chosen as its Teacher of the Year.
Rutherford, 32, has lived in the New Port Richey area since he was 7. He attended Anclote Elementary and Gulf Middle and graduated from Gulf High in 1988.
After earning a music education degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa, he was hired as the band teacher at Gulf and has been in that position for eight years.
His wife, Kelly, is the flag corps sponsor at Gulf High, as well as a first- grade teacher at Mittye P. Locke Elementary.
The couple has two daughters: Elizabeth, 7, attends Locke Elementary; her sister, Brittany, is 3.
During the summer, the Rutherfords catch up on family time, and he also is busy preplanning the band program for the next school year, including halftime shows, and doing summer mailings.
