Kyle Page had not planned to go into special education — he had a football scholarship in North Carolina. Connections with Lee University, however, brought him to Cleveland and an opportunity to further his education at Lee gave him the motivation he needed.

Actually, Page was born while his minister dad Kelvin Page was at Lee. Then the family moved to Denver where they lived 10 years before moving to North Carolina.

It was in North Carolina that Kyle met Nicole Johnson, his “Southern Belle.” They were high school sweethearts in Goldsboro, N.C.

She is a school nurse at Park View Elementary and Life Care Center part time. They have two sons, Jacob and Isaac Malachi.

The Pages attend Westmore Church of God where his father serves as pastor. His mother is a secretary at Lee University.

Page entered the special education program at Lee — and was hooked. “This is a mission field,” he said.

He graduated in 2005 from Lee with a bachelor’s degree in special education and was hired by Ocoee Middle School as a special ed teacher and head football coach.

Page first started at Horizon School as a teacher’s assistant. He was hired to enforce and manage behavior in the classroom and “it worked out well,” he said.

After leaving Horizon, Page was at Walker Valley High School from 2006 to 2009 as football coach and special ed teacher the first year. The second year found him in administration and special ed and he earned his master’s in administration education.

Page was approached in 2008 by Johnny McDaniel, the Bradley County Schools director, about overhauling the traditional alternative school. The school had operated for 20 years, dealing with students with behavioral problems (expelled and suspended).

In the spring of 2009, Kyle came to GOAL Academy — Bradley County’s first nontraditional high school. The program was launched with a pilot semester at the Sunset site.

The first year saw 72 graduated ... the fall semester in 2010 graduated 28. The decline is seen as success of the program. More students are graduating from their home schools — Bradley Central and Walker Valley high schools.

“... working our way out of a job,” Page said.

A student who graduated from GOAL in December 2010 said the GOAL school changed her life. “I loved being there,” she said, “and I miss everyone.” She said the teachers impacted her thinking and she is so glad she had the opportunity to attend the school.

“They were interested in me and made efforts one-on-one to help me,” she said. She added she couldn’t praise the school enough for the difference it made for her. “I wouldn’t have received a high school diploma if it had not been for GOAL Academy.”

The sign on Page’s desk says it all for his “mission field”:

Excellence is:

Caring more than others think is wise.

Risking more than others think is safe.

Dreaming more than others think is practical.

Expecting more than others think is possible.