Coaches often use the phrase “game recognizes game” to describe two people who have a mutual respect and understanding of what it takes to perform at a high level. That same concept can be applied to identifying future leaders and that proved true for Jatata Hutton some years ago.  

The Mississippi native began his career as a corrections officer with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, working with adjudicated youth, but found his calling for education while working as a substitute teacher to earn extra money. From there, Hutton moved to Texas and earned a master’s degree in educational management from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.  

“I became assistant principal the last semester of my grad school year, I’ll never forget it,” he said during a roundtable discussion celebrating October as National Principals Month. “I thought that I was going to be a coach for at least 15 to 20 years, just like my high school football coach, but it didn’t happen that way. Joseph Vader saw me at a job fair in 2004 and hired me on the spot. He was the principal I chose to learn from. He saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. I appreciate that and keep in contact with him today.”  

Drawing on his experience as a former athlete and self-dubbed “class clown” to gain insight into what students need from educators, combined with his admiration for classroom coaches’ ability to command respect from students while remaining relatable and engaging, Hutton was a natural leader.  

Those skills are vital in his current principalship at Academic and Behavior School West, where students with behavioral challenges depend on the structure he’s developed on campus and enjoy communicating with him personally. 

“I was the clown who always got kicked out of class. So, it’s fitting that I’m a principal, right? It is all coming back on me,” Hutton laughed. “But really, our students are in a safe place with us, and often, our campus is the first place they’ve ever experienced success.” 

Hutton ensures that students and his staff have a place to thrive by sharing the skills he has developed over his 20-year career with the next generation of school administrators.  

“I like to mentor people and leverage my leadership,” Hutton said. “My goal is to leave a place better than when I arrived. I have people on my campus who are already on their way to becoming principals. I see them and think, ‘Oh, you’re going to be a leader!’” 

In collaboration with Special Schools leaders, Hutton helped identify a handful of ABS West educators to join the inaugural cohort of principal interns through a new program with Prairie View A&M University in August. The initiative will allow interns to take their leadership skills to the next level by assuming additional responsibilities on campus and helping Hutton spearhead meetings and provide daily direction to students and staff.  

“Game recognizes game” – now, an educational cycle that transcends districts nationwide and guarantees that students learn from the best and are welcomed into loving environments.  

“Looking back in hindsight, I don’t have any regrets about leaving coaching and the classroom behind because I get an opportunity to make a bigger impact outside the classroom,” Hutton smiled.