When he became principal at T.C. Williams High School in 1984, John Porter intended to stay six or seven years. Yet he ended up staying at the high school through 2006 — cementing his public persona as one of the most recognizable figures in the city. Since then, he has worked in the school administration’s central office as assistant superintendent for planning and operations with an annual salary of $152,000. This week, Porter announced he will be stepping down from that position to become executive director of ACT for Alexandria, Alexandria's community foundation.

"It’s bittersweet," said Porter. "I have been with the school system for so long that this is going to be quite a change."

A native of the District of Columbia, Porter has lived most of his life in Alexandria and graduated from George Washington High School in 1965. Inspired by an uncle who taught in public schools, Porter majored in history at North Carolina Wesleyan College, where he was president of his class for four years. When he came back to Alexandria he took a position teaching American history and Virginia history position at Parker Gray Middle School.

"For me personally, he helped me get through some very difficult time in my life with some dysfunctional family issues," said Sheriff Dana Lawhorne, who was in Porter’s seventh-grade class at Parker Gray. "After he started the crisis resource center, I would get kicked out of class just so I could hang out with him."

Porter eventually became an assistant principal in charge of student welfare at Hammond, then accepted a job as principal at Ramsay Elementary School and then Adams Middle School. In 1979, he arrived at T.C. Williams High School as assistant principal for curriculum and instruction — ultimately taking the top job when former Principal Robert Haney took an administrative job in the central office in 1984. Since joining the administration in 2006, Porter has often served as a voice of institutional memory in the administration.

"John has become my go-to person for community involvement, planning, operations, school division history, sensitive personnel issues, weather, closings of schools, local eateries and general balance and perspective," said Superintendent Morton Sherman in a written statement. "I will greatly miss his daily counsel, love of students and professionalism."