For more than 19 years, Dr. Marsha Barber has been the face of Trinity Christian Academy (TCA) but now she says it's time to turn over the reins.
"I wanted to phase myself out rather than just one day say, 'Oh, by the way I'm retiring at the end of the year,'" Barber said. "I had a five-year plan that actually turned into a six-year plan, where I gradually handed over duties a little more to my elementary principal and a few more duties to the curriculum director as well as [Mike Skaggs]."Skaggs had been the school's secondary principal and an integral part of the TCA team for more than 12 years."It's worked well; it was my plan all along for Mike to take over," Barber said. "From the minute he got here, we've been in sync."Barber said Skaggs was the "perfect" man for the job when he came on board with a strong emphasis in secondary education."That's his gift; that's not my gift," she said. "I'm more elementary oriented; we were a perfect match."The board made the decision last summer, Barber said, and Skaggs agreed to accept the job. The school made the announcement of the coming change in November and Skaggs began his role as the new chief administrator on Jan.1.Barber said she will stay on and continue to raise the profile of the school in the area, which she has done for the last year and a half, and continue to work at raising funds to pay off the school building, estimated at $5 million.Skaggs, originally from DeLeon, said he "felt the Lord calling him into some type of occupational ministry." He "swore" he would never teach, but after spending three years doing youth and music ministry in West Texas near San Angelo, he had realized that there was something else calling for him though he didn't know what that was at that time.Returning to DeLeon, Skaggs said he decided to do some substitute teaching and "fell in love with it" but a strange set of circumstances during an encounter with a friend was headed his way. It was Christmas Eve and Skaggs and his family were returning home from a party when he ran into a friend at Wal-Mart buying batteries."He was home from Virginia where he was the principal of a Christian school and he said, 'Mike, you need to come teach for me,'" Skaggs said. "That following year, I taught English just outside Washington D.C. in Manassas, Va."That sense of calling I realized - this was it."Later, Skaggs moved back to Texas where he took a teaching position at Whitney. There, he taught Advanced Placement English and was named as a department head. He remained there for two years while he completed his Masters degree from Baylor University.After finishing his degree, he ran into the same friend that had coaxed him to Virginia, though had moved back to Texas by then."He said he knew of a Christian school just outside of Fort Worth looking for a principal," Skaggs said. "I told him I didn't want to be a principal and that I wanted to teach, and he said he was going to give them my name anyway."He said a few weeks later, Barber gave him a call and he "graciously" declined."A week or two later, [Barber] called my house and spoke to my wife; and my wife set up an interview with me for TCA," Skaggs said. "Sometimes, you just need to shut up and do what you're wife tells you to."Skaggs said the school is blessed by the number of families that have entrusted TCA with their children and that, starting out, it was never his intention to shoot for the role of chief administrator."It's been a long journey for me to realize that God has gifted me in this way and that it was alright to take this role," he added. "God has given me a growing gift of excitement in terms of taking on this leadership role."He said the school has a wealth of faculty and staff that are "incredibly" gifted and devoted."I can't imagine coming into it without that kind of framework; it's exciting," Skaggs said. "I feel that the resources we have, right now, that Marsha and our board and the people that have come before have left me and the other administrative team to work with...Wow! We're set."Lance Winter, 817-594-9902, ext. 102Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
