The first day of school in Cobb County almost couldn’t arrive soon enough for Ulysses Musgrove. He planned on showing up for his fourth year at Powder Springs Elementary by 7:10 a.m. last Monday.
Musgrove isn’t the world’s most overeager grade school student. Instead, the Powder Springs grandfather’s friendly face is the first (official) one that many students see on their way to school most days. And the last one before they head home.
A retired Cobb County police officer, Musgrove, 57, is a school crossing guard. It’s a job that is as much about providing a steady, reassuring presence to kids as ensuring their physical safety.
It also requires being a good multitasker. From his post near a three-way stop, Musgrove has to safely shepherd the walkers, as well as know when the school buses are scheduled to arrive and depart and keep a watchful eye on parents pulling up in cars to drop off their children.
And he does it all at two different schools: After spending about a half hour each morning at Powder Springs Elementary, he heads over to Austell where students start arriving at Cooper Middle School about 8:25 a.m. At 2:15 in the afternoon, the whole process starts all over again when the elementary school gets ready to dismiss its student body.
There are 57 crossing guards staffing 101 posts at Cobb schools this year, all part of a unit supervised by Lt. Hawk Hagebak of the Cobb County Police Department. Their role is vital at a time when roads are increasingly clogged with traffic, parents’ schedules are busier than ever and students count on seeing the same cheerful, caring face each day.
We spoke to Musgrove about what he enthusiastically describes as being “much more than a job”:
Q: You retired from the police force in July 2006, and the next year, you became a crossing guard. After some 18 years of crime solving, why this somewhat kinder, gentler focus?
A: Like being a police officer, what you're doing is a service. It's all about making people safe. And whenever you do something, you want to do things you enjoy. I'm a people person and I've always loved being around children. If I can't do something I enjoy doing and that also helps people, then I feel that I have failed.
Q: Is it all about safety? What else is in your job description?
A: My priority is to make sure those kids and parents get to and from school as safely as possible. But especially with the elementary kids, if I can get a smile from their face, that's encouraging to them and to me. If I say "Good morning'" to them, they may notice, "Wow, he said something to me." Then, when they come back [at the end of the day], I say, "Did you have a good day today?" They might say, "I had a good day" or "I had a bad day, the teacher said this to me." They can share their thoughts with you, if just for a brief second, and it can make a difference."
Q: What can you say to a student who's had a bad day?
A: I say "What happened?" They may tell me, and I'll say, "You've got tomorrow. If you forgot something, or you were talking [out of turn], make it a better day tomorrow." That gives them a little encouragement."
Q: So there's a bit of the roadside psychologist in what you do?
A: [Laughs] I want to think all crossing guards are the same. You have a relationship with people: "I know it's OK, because that person is there." If you look at kids' faces, it's [seeing] that parent figure or adult figure. It's "I'm safe, because I made it to that corner where that same person always is."
Q: Speaking of parents. ... It's not just kids who sometimes need help getting to and from school safely?
A: There's a three way stop sign [at Powder Springs Elementary], but some just don't recognize it. The majority are dropping their kids off, but they might have their minds focused somewhere else, on work or something. I think that's why our job is really important. I stop them and ask, "Did you see me?" Instead of yelling and screaming, you talk to people. You make them aware of what's going on, and they seem to appreciate that.
I haven’t had any problems [with] parents. They might question me. One lady once said, “The old crossing guard used to do this so we could be on time.” I wanted to say, “Ma’am, if you got up earlier, you’d be on time.” But you don’t tell anyone how to do their job [as a parent]. You tell them “This is the safest way to do it.”
Q: Still, every year brings an influx of new students and their parents. How do you handle that?
A: If you've got a routine, it doesn't take [parents] long to learn it. I've been at that corner — this will be the fourth year — so they know how I work. You've got those parents who are veterans who are going to teach the parents who are new. Sometimes you notice the first couple of weeks it takes a little longer, because they haven't set their formats or gotten down to a schedule. And the kids who walk normally walk in one big group. Some are slowpokes. You come to realize that. You don't holler at them. If it takes them all day, that's fine. As long as I see them across safely, it's OK.
Q: Finally, many kids dread the first day of school, because it means summer is over. How do you feel as that day approaches?
A: I get excited. Because you're waiting to meet the little kids and to see the ones again who you think are going to be back on your corner. You're waiting to see that smile, or see how they've grown and changed.
[Laughs] I get excited, but I can’t say they all get excited! But if you smile and be excited for them, maybe they will be.
The Sunday conversation is edited for length and clarity.
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