When interim principal Alex Fox took the stage and introduced himself at the beginning of class assemblies last week, he made one thing clear: When addressing him, students could skip the “Mr.” and cut right to his last name.

Fox said that he does that for two reasons: to make his towering frame a little less “intimidating,” as he put it, and to open a dialogue with students.

“It throws people off, right?,” Fox said. “What that does is that it takes down a barrier. It makes people feel comfortable and come up and say, ‘Hey Fox, how you doing?’” 

To Fox, titles are important. That’s why he requires students to call all other faculty and staff by their preferred prefix. Still, he believes there’s more to a person than their title or rank, which was a lesson instilled into him by his father, who was a 1st Sgt. in the Army.

“I’m not knocking titles,” Fox said. “Titles are great, but they don’t make the man. That’s the biggest thing, drawing back to what my father used to tell me … that was his main lesson to me.”

His father’s lessons on leadership aren’t the only takeaways that Fox has from his family. His mother, a teacher in Germany, inspired him to pursue a career in education. 

His journey started in 1995, when Fox first came to Edwardsville to finish his degree at SIUE. It would soon see him teaching at Columbus Elementary School and then at Edwardsville Middle School, where he also coached three sports. Then, an administrative spot opened up.

“I was looking for a new challenge, and I had completed my degree in administration,” Fox said. “I got the opportunity, so I was like, ‘I might as well try it out [and] see if I like it,’ and I did. I’d been given an opportunity, and I took it.”

From there, Fox became an assistant principal at Liberty Middle School, and after six years he became an assistant principal at EHS. Five years later, he became the athletic director. He took over as administrator of Success Academy in 2023.

“I think, more than anything else, running the Success Academy and serving students correctly, sometimes students that need the most attention, is probably the best part of what I’ve done in my career,” he said.

Now, as of Aug. 9, he’s interim principal of the largest high school in Madison County.

“I was a little nervous about [taking the job],” Fox said. “It’s a big school. There’s a lot going on. I really liked my school across the street, but in the interest of trying to make the transition smooth … I decided to help [District 7] out.”

Fox described the process of becoming interim principal as a “domino effect,” where filling one position left another open. According to the District’s press release, Ron Simpson retired as director of the EGHM Foundation, and former principal Dr. Steve Stuart took that role.

There was little time between when he was approached for the position and when he was formally announced, as the entire process took place the week before school started Aug. 13.

“It hadn’t been cooking; it was just something that came about,” Fox said. “I think sometimes people decide, ‘I’ve had enough,’ or ‘I need to take a break,’ and so the guy wanted to retire, [and] I respect that. The show’s gotta go on.”

According to Fox, there can’t be a comparison between the leadership styles of Dr. Stuart and himself.

“I think your style has to be your own,” Fox said. “I think you take little tools or little pieces of each person because that’s gonna … make you a little better.”

Now that he’s the leader that people – students and staff alike – will be taking traits from, he believes that it’s important to be open and honest with everyone.

“I think [students] are old enough to understand that if this phone thing doesn’t work out, people want these phones gone,” Fox said. “That’s being honest. School safety is important. If these IDs aren’t worn, who’s going to take the hit for that? Ultimately, I’m responsible. I’m the same way with my staff. I don’t make promises that I can’t keep.”

Spanish teacher Ana Harris, who has worked with Fox for over 20 years, said that Fox’s transparency with the ID and phone policies makes it easier for students to understand what they’re allowed to do and what the repercussions are.

“I think that sometimes [for] teachers or educators in general, the same as parents, the more transparent, the more honest, the more we put things as they are going to be, the expectations are out there very clearly established, then kids know much better what to do and what not to do,” Mrs. Harris said.

Katelyn Richert, the new assistant principal of freshman students, said that Fox’s honesty and communication have been “amazing.”

“Any time I need anything, he is on top of it,” Mrs. Richert said. “He makes a connection with a lot of kids daily. He does that with the adults in the building, too. He’s just open and honest.”

Since the start of school, Fox says that he and EHS have “already accomplished a lot,” especially when it comes to the reinforcement of ID requirements and phone restrictions.

“That seems to overwhelm people because that seems to be all we’re talking about,” he said. “Beyond that, I want this school to have a positive image because I think it’s a great place. I’ve been to a lot of schools, and I think this is one of the best I’ve ever been to.”

Fox added that, on an individual student level, making the school a welcoming environment for all isn’t just something he’s done as interim principal; it’s something he’s done since he was in high school.

“I was a guy that protected the kids that needed the protection,” Fox said. “The big guy doesn’t have anything to prove, but you stand up for people, and you do the right thing … Ultimately, I want kids to enjoy being here, and if that can happen, I think it’s a successful year.”