78 Photo Essay: Lutis Moore, Jr.
Principal of Jasper Junior High School
Words by Justin Hunter | Images by Ryan McGill
Lutis Moore Jr. is the Charles Xavier of Jasper Junior High School. Like the famous professor from the X-Men comics, Moore is cultivating a healthy environment for each of his students to discover their superpower, the thing that makes them unique.
When you step inside Moore’s office and it feels like you’re in a comic bookstore for a generation raised on Marvel movies and anime, it’s both welcoming and disarming. Moore has an array of Transformer models on the tops of his cabinets, and framed posters of Black Panther, Incredible Hulk, and Thor decorate the walls.
His approach to the role of principal centers on building points of connection with each student. Moore goes out of his way to learn their names, interests, and future aspirations. He is what you call an “open-door principal.”
“I am the type of principal who interacts with the kids, and I want to be a good role model for them in hopes that some of them, once they graduate, will come back and be teachers,” says Moore.
Originally from Phenix City, Alabama, Moore found his way to Jasper after graduating from Alabama A&M University in 2006. When Bill Trussell, a long-time educator in Walker County, was searching for someone to fill his shoes, Moore’s academic advisor told him about a teaching opportunity at JJHS. In 15 years of teaching, Moore went from the classroom to assistant principal and eventually to principal.
Not surprisingly, Moore grew up in a family of educators. “It’s funny that I became a teacher,” he says. “Teaching basically runs in my family, but I just never pursued it or never thought about it.”
Moore earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science, but by his junior year at A&M, his passion for computer science was zapped. He switched from his Tony Stark/Iron Man career to a Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning career in education and signed up for the fifth-year teaching program. In 2009, he earned a master’s degree in education from A&M, and a master’s in instructional leadership from The University of Alabama in 2012.
Moore realized his personality wouldn’t allow him to work a typical 9-to-5 desk job, and teaching fits perfectly into his wheelhouse.
“I like the energy of being out with the kids and goofing off with them,” he says. “Sometimes I have to be the bad guy, but that’s not why I’m here. I’m as goofy as them; I’m just in an older body. I love that.”
As another school year kicks off, Moore wants to leave a positive impression on each student by drawing out the gold in each one of them through investing his time and love into them.
Thankfully, he isn’t working alone. He’s surrounded by a superhero team of educators. 78