Nicholas and Leslie Lyons agree they are an example of the old saying that opposites attract. But their shared passion for education has brought them together professionally and helped them find lasting love.
The couple met while studying education at the University of Arkansas and have worked side by side as literacy teachers in the Bentonville School District since the beginning of their careers. Now they lead connected buildings on the same campus, with Leslie serving as principal of Bentonville's Old High Middle School and Nicholas as principal of R.E. Baker Elementary School next door.
As administrators, they love what they do and share their joy for their jobs, says Tammy Risner, sixth-grade teacher and longtime personal friend of the couple. Both of them have a teacher's heart with the common goal of educating the whole child, she says.
The couple have created a warm and welcoming atmosphere for children and adults in the buildings they lead, Risner adds.
"Truly, they are best friends."
Growing up
The Lyonses grew up together in the Bentonville School District, from young teachers fresh out of college to the administrators they are today.
Nicholas is originally from Junction City, and Leslie is from Russellville. Leslie was a sophomore at the University of Arkansas and Nicholas was a freshman when they started spending time with the same group of friends.
Leslie, then Ratzlaff, thought it was cute that Nicholas was majoring in education. He was taking a class Leslie had the year before, so she offered to let him look at her portfolio.
"That was my move in, and it just went from there," she says.
The two students started dating and knew right away they were meant to be a couple. They married in 2000, when Leslie graduated with her master's degree and Nicholas graduated with his bachelor's.
Leslie's first job was at Old High Middle School, and she quickly fell in love with the work. Student teaching didn't go so well for Nicholas, so he became a sportswriter for the Benton County Daily Record, which was also based in downtown Bentonville. The couple made the decision to buy a house in Bentonville because they wanted to be a part of the community, they agree.
Watching Leslie's passion for education reignited Nicholas' interest in the field. He talked to an old friend who was working as a principal at Pea Ridge, and later that week the friend called him and encouraged him to come in for an interview.
For the rest of the semester, Nicholas covered football games on Friday night and taught sixth grade writing on Monday morning. He spent two years at Pea Ridge before getting a job in the Bentonville School District.
Working together in the same building is nothing new for the couple. At first, Nicholas taught fifth-grade literacy and Leslie taught sixth-grade literacy at Old High Middle School. When Ruth Barker Middle School opened, the couple moved there to teach the same subject.
"A lot [of students] would just become our kids," Leslie says. "We were totally committed to those kids because we both had them, and they knew the Lyons family."
But Nicholas and Leslie are very different people, and they quickly learned there were some kids that enjoyed one class more than the other, they recall with laughter.
The teachers loved becoming part of the community. Each year they would donate a movie night at their home to the fundraising carnival at Old High Middle School.
The staff members at the schools aren't just acquaintances; they watched Nicholas and Leslie grow up together. Their school family saw them through the birth of their two children -- Jackson in 2003 and Grace Ann in 2007, the death of their parents and through several years when Leslie struggled with illness, the couple explain.
Jackson is now a freshman majoring in film and creative writing at the University of Central Arkansas, and Grace Ann is a freshman at Bentonville High School, Leslie says.
"We became adults together in this building," Nicholas says.
Becoming leaders
When Leslie interviewed for her first job, she never imagined becoming the principal at Old High Middle School.
"Never in a million years," she says.
She has now served in the position for five years, while Nicholas has led R.E. Baker for the past year. Leslie previously served as a literacy coach at Central Park Elementary and assistant principal, and Nicholas also spent four years as an assistant principal at various schools in the district.
Janet Schwanhausser, chief financial officer and deputy superintendent, was a teacher on the committee that interviewed Leslie for her first job. When Leslie was late for the interview, Schwanhausser initially wrote her off, but then the principal leading the interview received a call that Leslie was lost and couldn't find the school.
"Of course, the minute she comes in with her bubbly personality and love for kids, we forgot she was late," Schwanhausser says.
The committee was also impressed with the way Leslie composed herself, she says.
"I think it's really ironic she couldn't find the school and now she's the principal," Schwanhausser says with a laugh.
Schwanhausser is also a parent of an Old High student. She described Leslie as a person who puts relationships above all else, whether it's with students, families, teachers or staff members. She says Leslie's commitment to good relationships is evident in the way she communicates with parents in every email and phone call.
"I think Bentonville Schools couldn't be any luckier than to have those two running two of our schools," she says.
While they work next door to each other, Nicholas and Leslie are too busy to see each other much at school. During fire drills, Leslie sometimes jokes with Nicholas on the radio, and during field days Nicholas is known to bring Leslie a snow cone.
Having the same group of work friends has strengthened their bond, and they also both understand the stresses and emotional burdens of the job, they agree.
It's also nice to have someone to help deal with problems. For example, when the campus had a gas leak scare a couple of weeks ago, they helped each other find out what was going on. Luckily there was no leak, Leslie says. During cold weather, the couple also help each other tour the buildings to check for frozen pipes.
Now that Nicholas and Leslie are both in administrative positions, they sometimes deal with people who think they have sway over each other.
"It's not uncomfortable for us; we have clear boundaries," Leslie says.
Nicholas says he doesn't even tell people they need talk to Leslie, he tells them they need to talk to the principal at Old High.
The couple have watched whole families grow up and have experienced the joy of hiring former students as teachers. The number of students who come back to teach in Bentonville speaks to the quality of the district, they agree.
Opposites attract
Nicholas and Leslie express a lot of admiration for each other. Leslie describes herself as bubbly and outgoing, while Nicholas says he is more reserved. Even though they have opposite styles, they agree their strengths compliment each other.
Leslie says watching how good Nicholas is at his job melts her heart, especially when he gets down on one knee to talk to a kindergartener at eye level.
"Talk about swoon worthy! That's a big deal," she says.
"The best educator I know is my wife," Nicholas says. "As we talk, I've learned a ton. I feel we have done a very good job over the years of challenging each other."
Professional learning communities, where teachers work collaboratively, are a big emphasis in Bentonville Schools, Nicholas says.
"I kind of have an ongoing PLC in my home," he says.
While it's true that marriage takes work, "we are lucky enough to like each other," Leslie says, glancing at Nicholas with a loving grin.
Weekends often find the Lyonses on their back porch, watching the birds at the bird feeder. While they have a lot in common professionally, they are committed to finding other things to talk about at home as well, they agree.
When they were teachers, the couple learned the importance of downtime and putting family first from their administrators. Now that they are principals, they try to pass on the wisdom to their staff.
"You have to leave the office at the office and come home to connect with your family," Nicholas says. "We are blessed to agree on making our family at home the priority."
Nicholas and Leslie's personalities compliment each other and they love to laugh, according to Angie Stafford, principal at Mary Mae Jones Elementary School and longtime friend and former neighbor.
The couple has impacted students by giving them a love of learning they carry on with them after they move on to higher grades, she says.
"As educators, they are great," Stafford says. "They form connections with everyone they meet, especially kids."
Nicholas and Leslie Lyons met while studying education at the University of Arkansas and have worked side by side through most of their careers. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Spencer Tirey)
As administrators, the Lyonses love what they do and share their joy for their jobs, says Tammy Risner, sixth-grade teacher and longtime personal friend of the couple. Both of them have a teacher’s heart with the common goal of educating the whole child, she says. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Spencer Tirey)
Leslie Lyons says watching how good Nicholas is at his job melts her heart, especially when he gets down on one knee to talk to a kindergartener at eye level. “Talk about swoon worthy! That’s a big deal,” she says. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Spencer Tirey)