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Scott Ralston’s path to Franklin Sherman Elementary School included construction work, Peace Corps service, well-capping in Mongolia, corporate auditing and two years teaching children traveling with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Now an assistant principal at the Fairfax County school, Ralston said education was never part of his original career plan.
Raised in Central Pennsylvania, he studied social studies in college before joining the Peace Corps. He spent two years teaching English as a Second Language in Mongolia, then remained there for another two years to cap wells through a United Nations and World Bank project.
Ralston later returned to the United States and worked for PriceWaterhouseCoopers. His career changed again when a friend showed him an advertisement seeking a traveling circus teacher.
The position appealed to his love of travel and his desire not to remain tied to one place.
Teaching under the big top
Ralston taught about 25 students, ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade, in a one-room-schoolhouse environment.
His days began with the youngest children. Older students joined them for about an hour before finishing the school day separately. During the shared period, older children read to their younger classmates.
Ralston also worked to help parents see the value of formal education. For some circus families, mastering performance skills in the ring took priority, so he focused on building relationships and encouraging greater involvement in their children’s schooling.
Many of his students performed as well as children in traditional schools on standardized tests. Ralston believed their extensive time around adults and the independence of circus life contributed to those results.
Over two years, he traveled to more than 77 U.S. cities and estimates that he crossed the country at least 30 times. Along the way, he tried tightrope skills and encountered baby elephants and tiger cubs.
An unexpected home in Fairfax County
After leaving the circus, Ralston pursued a master’s degree while teaching on an Apache reservation in Arizona through another Peace Corps program. He later traveled with the Peace Corps to Tonga, where he met his future wife.
The couple married in 2008. While visiting his family in the United States, they agreed to house-sit for a friend in Alexandria for about a month. They liked the area, found jobs and settled in Fairfax County.
Seventeen years later, they remained county residents and were raising two children.
Ralston spent years at Churchill Road Elementary School as a special education teacher and administrator. He also worked at Weyanoke, Glen Forest and Franklin Sherman elementary schools and supported students with disabilities through the Extended School Year summer program.
Franklin Sherman Principal Farris Thomas said Ralston’s unusual background gives him broad perspectives and considerable patience, helping him connect with students, families and employees. Thomas also credited him with applying both academic and social-emotional expertise when handling complicated situations.
Ralston said former administrators supported his development, particularly Don Hutzel at Churchill Road, who helped him earn his special education certification and leadership credentials.
Although chance brought him to Fairfax County Public Schools, Ralston said remaining in the area and continuing his education career proved to be the right choice.